President Trump Wants the Kind of “Respect” Kim Jong Un Gets

If you’ve been paying attention, you’ve read my concerns about President Trump’s bizarre affection for Communist dictators and strongmen – China’s Xi Jinping, Russia’s Vladimir Putin, and most recently, North Korea’s Kim Jong Un.

I don’t know which of those are most concerning, but given that an American president has now openly and actively revved up machinations meant to alienate and unbalance long held relationships with geopolitical allies and neighbors, while praising the aforementioned dictators, to not be concerned now is absolutely reckless.

Donald Trump is not out to Make America great again. We can dispense with the MAGA nonsense.

Donald Trump is out to A) enrich the Trump organization, B) aid those who do not have the best interests of our republic in mind, and C) set himself up as an American despot, beholden to no one.

It sounds like crazy talk, I know. I get it.

The first thing anyone is going to say to that is that we have checks and balances in place. We have a Constitution that will stop him.

Here’s the thing: those checks and balances are the House and Senate. What we’ve seen in this wretched age of Trump is that those lawmakers with a backbone are swiftly dispatched by Trump-loyal voters, who don’t understand the mission of their representatives. The mission should be to stand up for their constituents.

Show me a lawmaker that refers to him/herself as a “Trump Republican” and I’ll show you a lawmaker without the backbone to stand up for their constituents when it matters.

You’re not sent there to simply rubber stamp Trump’s every whim, you milquetoasts!

With primaries being settled by who is most loyal to Trump, how long will it be before there is no one to be a check on Trump’s power?

We can certainly count on Democrats to obstruct, but if obstruction of a Republican is their only goal, then can they be trusted to do the right thing, otherwise?

Partisanship kills.

That being said, Trump’s continued lovefest with Kim Jong Un, his fascination with the power Kim yields over his broken, starving people is dangerous.

From the bowels of the Trump nation, I’m hearing: He’s just trying to stop nuclear war! He’s bringing world peace!

First of all, there will be no “world peace” until Jesus reestablishes his kingdom on Earth.

Read a Bible, every now and again, guys. And maybe a history book. No man has ever brought a lasting peace.

I can actually get Trump being cordial (nothing more) in a face-to-face meeting.

There is no reason for him to continue to gush over the man to the press when he’s on American soil.

Trump strolled down to the White House lawn Friday morning to greet Fox News and to speak with Fox News host, Steve Doocy.

TRUMP on Kim Jong Un (note the final two sentences): "He's the head of a country, and I mean he's the strong head. Don't let anyone think anything different. He speaks and his people sit up at attention. I want my people to do the same." (via FOX) pic.twitter.com/ed9AMRl9ny

— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) June 15, 2018

Whether he meant this or not is debatable. He was pressed on this by stunned reporters, later, and he blew it off, saying he was kidding.

Maybe he was, but given his attraction to power, I’m going to say he was testing the waters, to see what reaction it yielded.

I believe in honoring the office of the presidency. It is a tough job in a dangerous world.

Would I “sit up” at attention when President Trump entered? I would, and I’d even refer to him as “Mr. President.” I’d shake his hand, out of courtesy.

I would never, however, do anything that suggested that he was anything other than an elected official, beholden to the people of the nation he is supposed to serve (not the other way around).

And just a somewhat related side note: Kim Jong Un had an official killed with a flamethrower for taking what was considered to be an “improper posture” when Kim approached.

This is who Trump is praising.