The much-anticipated summit between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is officially canceled. On Thursday morning, Trump sent a letter to Kim — the full text of which has been made public — in which he notified North Korea’s supreme commander that the event was off.
Read: Trump’s letter to Kim Jong Un canceling the North Korea summit
“I felt a wonderful dialogue was building between you and me.”
Zack Beauchamp is a senior correspondent at Vox, where he covers ideology and challenges to democracy, both at home and abroad. His book on democracy, The Reactionary Spirit, was published 0n July 16. You can purchase it here.
The event was supposed to take place on June 12 in Singapore. The reason for cancellation, according to Trump, was a recent North Korean statement that blasted some of Vice President Mike Pence’s recent comments as “stupid” and threatened a “nuclear showdown” with the United States. “Based on the tremendous anger and open hostility displayed in your most recent statement, I feel it is inappropriate, at this time, to have this long-planned meeting,” Trump writes.
The letter’s tone is more wistful than hostile, reading almost like a breakup note. “I felt a wonderful dialogue was building between you and me, and ultimately, it is the only dialogue that matters,” Trump writes. “If you change your mind having to do with this important summit, please do not hesitate to call me or write.”
Here’s the full text of Trump’s letter, sent on official White House letterhead:
(The White House)
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