The Patriot Post® · Trump Salute Controversy Blown Out of Proportion
The controversy over President Donald Trump returning the salute from a North Korean officer that dominated the news — at least until the Justice Department inspector general’s report came out — is really a nothing burger.
The still photo, in this case, did not show the whole story. Video puts that salute in context.
In the first few seconds of the video above, we see that President Trump offered the North Korean officer his hand for a handshake — the typical sort of thing one does at a summit. The officer instead saluted. President Trump reflexively returned the salute, then the two shook hands. Trump returning the salute was, at worst, a “superior officer” reciprocating a gesture based on respect.
We’d prefer if Trump had not saluted anyone in Kim Jong-Un’s murderous regime, but contrary to some assertions, this wasn’t comparable to Barack Obama bowing to the Saudi king or the Japanese emperor.
Why? First of all, a bow is a show of submission. A salute is a sign of respect. But more to the point, Obama’s view of America made his gesture more offensive. Remember then-Senator Obama saying American troops were “air raiding villages and killing civilians” in Afghanistan? Or how about this 50-second summary of Obama’s desire to slash defense spending? His presidency was an eight-year mission to undermine American leadership around the world.
Recent revelations about just how far Obama went to placate the genocidal mullahs running Iran (who repeatedly chant “Death to America”), including lying about Iran’s access to American financial institutions, make this salute — and the Singapore summit — look tame by comparison. Obama was desperate for a deal — any deal — with the mullahs. Trump is working for verifiable denuclearization.
Contrast Obama’s track record and statements with Trump’s record “making America great again,” including his push to increase defense spending. When one of them slips up, to whom would you be more willing to give the benefit of the doubt — the person who claimed American troops deliberately kill civilians and thinks America needs to be taken down a notch, or the person who wants to make America great again? That’s not a tough call.
President Trump, though, already was willing to walk away from the summit. The result of that willingness was North Korea modifying its behavior and rhetoric. Diplomacy is all about the right mix of the carrot and the stick. In that light, the suspension of major military exercises is an understandable move. If Kim Jong-un’s behavior backslides, the exercises can easily be resumed.
Yes, Kim has one of the worst human rights records in the world. Yes, he got a boost from this summit. But the North Koreans are dismantling a missile test site. They aren’t making threats anymore, either. Plus, we get a chance to account for our MIAs from the Korean War. And, again, the goal is denuclearization of a rogue regime.
Given all that, we can live with Trump spontaneously returning a salute.