NORTH KOREA/NUCLEAR/SUMMIT/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “In the end, President Donald Trump did the unexpected: He walked away. A visibly deflated Trump began the news conference wrapping up his second summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un by talking about anything else. He riffed on the potential nuclear crisis between India and Pakistan. The violent crackdown in Venezuela. Only then did Trump turn to the subject at hand: Why, after weeks of buildup, flattery and reality TV-style showmanship, his negotiations with the North Korean leader had come to an abrupt halt. ‘Sometimes you have to walk and this was just one of those times,’ he said. For Trump, it was more than an isolated diplomatic strikeout. It was the latest demoralizing episode in a monthslong losing streak that threatens his presidency. A clobbering in the House in the November midterm elections that armed Democrats with subpoena power led to a government shutdown and a losing battle with Congress over a border wall with Mexico.”
–Eliana Johnson, “‘Sometimes you have to walk’: Why Trump bailed on North Korea,” Politico, February 28, 2019 1:15 pm