Trump was caught off guard by Bolton’s comment & wasn’t happy once he saw how it was playing out, according to multiple officials. No one in Trump admin knew Bolton would make Libya model comments. (via @PamelaBrownCNN @jeffzeleny @MichLKosinski @eliselabottcnn @Kevinliptakcnn)
— Will Ripley (@willripleyCNN) June 6, 2018
Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani on Wednesday boasted that Donald Trump’s tough line had forced the North Korean leader to beg to re-schedule a high-profile summit after the president abruptly called off the meeting.
After the cancellation, “Kim Jong Un got back on his hands and knees and begged for it, which is exactly the position you want to put him in,” Giuliani told a business conference in the Israeli city of Tel Aviv.
In an interview later with The Associated Press, Giuliani rejected suggestions that such comments might sour the atmosphere ahead of next week’s summit, saying that the North Korean leader must understand that the United States is in a position of strength.
“It is pointing out that the president is the stronger figure,” Giuliani told the AP. “And you’re not going to have useful negotiations unless he accepts that.”
Giuliani said Trump had no choice but to call off the meeting after the North Koreans insulted Vice President Mike Pence, National Security Adviser John Bolton and threatened “nuclear annihilation” of the U.S.
“President Trump didn’t take that. What he did was he called off the summit,” he said.
Giuliani said Kim quickly changed his position, expressed willingness to discuss denuclearization and asked to have the meeting again.
“That’s what I mean by begging for it,” Giuliani said.