Inside the Beltway: DMZ Effect: A Nobel Prize for Trump?

NEWS AND OPINION:

Even a portion of the grudging news media had to offer President Trump some fair coverage following his unprecedented and historic meeting on North Korean soil with leader Kim Jong-un. Some opinion peddlers dismissed the moment as window dressing on a dangerous situation, or simply done for show.

Others say Mr. Trump deserves serious consideration for a Nobel Prize.

“Trump’s greatest advantage in dealing with Pyongyang is that he simply does not care about the so-called proper way of conducting diplomacy. His mission, as it has always been, is to keep the American people safe, secure and prosperous. A meeting along the DMZ, even if it was quick and more of a gut check to see where Chairman Kim stood on the all-important question of denuclearization, clearly attempts to advance such an agenda. Trump took a chance for peace, with little downside to trying,” writes Harry Kazianis, executive editor of The National Interest, and director of Korean studies for the Center for the National Interest, a bipartisan think tank.

“In my humble opinion, the president has done more good on the Korean issue in the last year and a half than President Obama did in eight,” Mr. Kazianis said in his op-ed, written for Fox News.

“Just the sheer act of Trump crossing into North Korea territory is progress itself, a sign that trust is building and that both sides can work towards a brighter future. Remember, history is all about mind-blowing optics that change hearts and minds. Most people can’t recite the details of a certain treaty or document that made history, but they always remember the photo that did. Trump delivered that Sunday. To be honest, this is a day I never thought I would see in my lifetime,” he continued.

“And while we have a long way to go before we can declare North Korea is no longer a threat to America, I for one love what the president is doing. And so should the American people. And heck, if President Obama received a Nobel Prize for nearly nothing, then I think there is only one obvious thing to do, and that’s to make sure Donald Trump receives the award as well.”

THE HANDSHAKE HEARD ’ROUND THE WORLD

Meanwhile, President Trump offered a handy summation of his very recent historic trek into North Korea.

“It’s a great day, really, for the world, if you think about it” Mr. Trump advised the press on Sunday.

FOR THE LEXICON

“Yellsplaining”

Concise new term coined by New York Post columnist John Podhoretz, using it to describe to the oratory style of Democratic presidential hopeful Sen. Bernard Sanders, and his performance in the first Democratic debate last week.

“You’ve heard of mansplaining? Bernie was yellsplaining. If I screamed as much as he screamed in that debate, I would be in the emergency room at the Ear Nose and Throat Hospital and would be put on total vocal rest for six months. You have to give the old guy credit. He’s got world-class pipes. He’s like the Pavarotti of Commies,” writes Mr. Podhoretz.

OILS WELL THAT ENDS WELL

Some unembellished news for a change.

“U.S. crude output soared to new heights in April, highlighting OPEC’s dilemma just days before the producer group meets amid growing geopolitical threats. A government report on Friday showed U.S. production grew 2.1% in April to 12.16 million barrels a day. Booming shale production from places like the Permian basin of West Texas have enabled U.S. oil output to overtake Saudi Arabia and Russia,” Bloomberg reports.

“At the same time, trade disputes and escalating tensions in the Persian Gulf have clouded the outlook for the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, which is expected to extend current output cuts next week,” wrote analysts Stephen Cunningham and Jessica Summers.

“It really means that OPEC has to make a decision to balance the market or shale will do it for them,” said Jim Lucier, managing director of Washington, D.C.-based Capital Alpha Partners LLC. “Despite all the talk about Wall Street forcing capital discipline, we’re not seeing any diminishing production yet.”

FOX NEWS STILL THE DEBATE KING

NBC and other news organizations offered dramatic headlines about the Democratic presidential debates last week, announcing that one of broadcasts had “shattered” the previous Democratic record for such an event. On Thursday, 18.1 million viewers tuned in to see the hopefuls spar with one another across NBC, MSNBC and Telemundo.

Fox News, however, holds the all-time record not only for a political broadcast, but for cable news in general.

The first GOP presidential debate on Aug. 5, 2015, featured the star power of then-presidential hopeful Donald Trump. It was hosted by a Fox News team which included then-anchor Megyn Kelly. The GOP debate drew an unprecedented 24 million viewers — emerging as the highest rated debate — and also the highest rated cable news program in history.

Many viewers remember that Ms. Kelly challenged Mr. Trump in a discussion which led to a feud between the two which lasted months.

“You’ve called women you don’t like fat pigs, dogs, slobs and disgusting animals,” Ms. Kelly said.

“Only Rosie O’Donnell,” Mr. Trump replied, not missing a beat.

“For the record, it was well beyond Rosie O’Donnell,” Ms. Kelly replied.

“Yes, I’m sure it was,” Mr. Trump responded.

In the meantime, Fox News remains the most-watched cable network of all for the 24th week in a row according to Nielsen ratings, trumping the competition, whether it is HGTV, ESPN, MSNBC or CNN. Fox News also remains the most popular cable news channel, as it has been for more than 17 years straight: Fox News draws 2.6 million prime-time viewers, MSNBC 1.5 million and CNN 853,000.

POLL DU JOUR

• 61% of Americans say illegal immigration is a serious problem in the U.S.; 77% of Republicans, 58% of independents and 43% of Democrats agree.

• 28% overall say the federal government should decrease the level of legal immigration; 45% of Republicans, 25% of independents and 17% of Democrats agree.

• 28% overall say the government should increase the level of legal immigration; 18% of Republicans, 23% of independents and 43% of Democrats agree.

• 28% overall say the government should not change the level of legal immigration; 31% of Republicans, 27% of independents and 38% of Democrats agree.

• 16% overall are not sure; 7% of Republicans, 25% of independents and 13% of Democrats agree.

Source: An Economist/YouGov poll of 1,500 U.S. citizens conducted June 16-18 and released Friday.

Helpful information to jharper@washingtontimes.com