Trump Should Stop Hosting Summits
He’s turned them into a pointless ritual.
Donald Trump's approach to hosting summits with foreign leaders has been criticized as detrimental to U.S. interests. These high-stakes meetings are meant to foster candid dialogue between world leaders, but Trump's unpredictable nature and lack of preparation have made them risky endeavors. Summits with dictators like North Korea's Kim Jong Un and Russia's Vladimir Putin have led to outcomes that were worse than no meeting at all, as Trump's admiration for autocrats often resulted in weaker positions for the United States.
Trump's 2018 meeting with Putin in Helsinki is a prime example, where he sided with a former KGB spy over U.S. intelligence reports, further damaging international relations. Additionally, Trump's choice of location for a summit with Putin in Alaska, where he was forced to listen to the Russian leader's harsh stance on Ukraine, further showcased the president's weakness.
The optics of these summits are often poor, with Trump's behavior appearing cringeworthy and humiliating to the host nation. Even Xi Jinping, the leader of the world's largest autocracy, received a more dignified welcome in the United States, highlighting the disparity in how U.S. presidents treat foreign dignitaries. Trump's off-the-cuff comments and actions during these summits, such as joking about Chinese reporters or publicly mocking his own presidency, have further damaged his reputation and the United States' standing on the global stage.
Given these issues, it is argued that Trump should stop hosting or attending summits altogether during his presidency.
Written by urgent.news from The Atlantic's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
