Poll numbers for what’s being called the “historic” Trump-Kim summit are in. Let’s take a look at the surprising results.
Politics
According to a Reuters/Ipsos opinion poll conducted June 12th and 13th of 1000 American adults (including more than 400 Democrats and 400 Republicans), over half say they approve of how Donald Trump handled the recent Trump-Kim summit. However, only a quarter of those polled believes the summit will lead to actual denuclearization of the Korean peninsula.
Interestingly, 40% said they doubt the countries will stick to their commitments. An additional 26% said they believed the United States and North Korea will meet their commitments, while 34% said they are unsure if the countries will follow through with their pledges.
The surprise of the poll is that 39% of those surveyed believe the summit has lowered the threat of nuclear war between the US and North Korea, which is slightly more than the 37% who said they do not believe anything will change.
What the poll does not present are the numbers of people who actually looked beyond the theatrics of the Trump-Kim summit and delved into the details of what actually did, or, more realistically, didn’t take place.
Politics
The signed agreement between Donald Trump and Kim Jong-Un included very few details and nothing that would be considered binding — which seems to have turned into a win-win for both participants.
Theoretically, the North Korean dictator agreed to nothing, which benefits him greatly. However, poll results prove Donald Trump benefited greatly as well. The Reuters/Ipsos poll suggests that the televised pageantry of the Trump-Kim summit combined with the signing of a virtual blank sheet of paper and no concrete commitments from North Korea provided Trump with broad support for one of his biggest foreign policy efforts, despite the event being, at best, a stage play.
According to the poll, Trump also received an overall 51% approval rating for his handling of North Korea. He also led the list of leaders who should take the most credit for the summit and the joint pledge, ahead of Kim Jong-Un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in.
Tried to post my response yesterday but for some reason it didn’t so I’m a day. What the poll does not present are the numbers of people who actually looked beyond the theatrics of the Trump-Kim summit and delved into the details of what actually did, or, more realistically, didn’t take place. […] DJ, my friend, you’ve summed up one of the primary reasons America is in one H*LL of mess today…with no end in sight to the national and constitutional crisis that is upon us. Polls are not the main culprit but America’s growing fixation on POLLS (thanks to an irresponsible an cable news industry) has contributed greatly to the madness. Cable news with 24/7 nonstop hyped up infotainment and very little actual newsworthy stories, has played a HUGE role…if not the biggest role in wrecking this country. So now we’re at a point in Our history when this… Read more »