President Donald Trump just concluded a historic summit with North Korea’s Kim Jong Un — a summit that many in the media predicted would never happen.
Some members of the media actually gave Trump credit for his desire to negotiate peace between the two countries, but others pessimistically predicted that the president would never even get the chance to sit down with Kim Jong Un. (RELATED: CNN Reporter Calls North Korea Announcement A ‘Huge Win For President Trump’)
Some, such as MSNBC contributor George Will, mocked the idea of the summit and derisively said on March 22 that it’s “not going to happen.”
George Will on MSNBC, dismissively, and with a chuckle:
• Trump’s wall ‘is not going to happen.’
• Trump’s summit with Kim Jong-un ‘is not going to happen.’— Tim Rostan. (@mrtgr) March 22, 2018
Other media figures agreed that the summit was highly unlikely to occur.
So, the over/under on the Korean summit is tilting toward “won’t happen.” I think it all depends on how much Trump wants it now as a PR stunt, and it’s still possible. Either way, the North Koreans have won, and gained time and space for themselves.
— Tom Nichols (@RadioFreeTom) May 17, 2018
I’ve argued the NK summit won’t happen, but here’s a good argument that it will. https://t.co/bEC8tEOG2E
— Jonathan Chait (@jonathanchait) March 12, 2018
Buy buy buy – inevitably this will be a collector’s item. Because the summit won’t happen.
— Jacob Turcotte (@jacobturcotte) May 21, 2018
Donald Trump’s summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un may not be taking place after all. The main reason being that it was never going to happen because they’re both huge liars.
— MAD Magazine (@MADmagazine) May 16, 2018
Trump himself conceded that the summit may not work out on May 22, and then canceled it entirely on May 24. While Trump seemed determined to reschedule the meeting, the mood from media critics was very “I told you so.” (RELATED: Trump Concedes North Korea Summit ‘May Not Work Out’)
“The more Trump repeats ‘we’ll see what happens’ the more it seems this summit with Kim Jong un won’t happen,” CNN producer David Gelles tweeted on May 24.
The more Trump repeats “we’ll see what happens” the more it seems this summit with Kim Jong Un won’t happen. https://t.co/K2XXfJH9QV
— David P Gelles (@gelles) May 24, 2018
Sports writer Kelly Scaletta also sarcastically said that Trump had canceled “the summit that was already not going to happen.”
I have decided to “cancel” the summit that was already not going to happen. https://t.co/fH4BeTuUs5
— Kelly Scaletta (@KellyScaletta) May 25, 2018
Christopher Smith also contributed to this report.