As a successful businessman, Donald Trump perfected the art of the deal. In fact, he even wrote a best-selling book about it. But as president, Trump is showcasing a whole new set of skills: the art of diplomacy. And while his tough talk with North Korea and catchy nicknames like “Little Rocket Man” may not be considered “presidential,” his unconventional way of dealing with the nuclear threats posed by North Korea’s leader Kim Jung Un appear to be working. At least for now.
In just more than a year, Trump has been able to accomplish something that no other president or world leader has been able to do since Kim took power — and that’s to smoke him out of his hole and force him to the negotiating table with foreign leaders and heads of state.
But many experts from around the world are trying to downplay the significance of Kim’s historic visit to Beijing earlier this week to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping — his first foreign trip since becoming leader of North Korea following his father’s unexpected death in 2011.
In one corner, some believe that Kim is feeling confident now that he has built a nuclear arsenal and that his trip this week to Beijing was to legitimize him as a powerful world leader and equal. While others believe that his visit was to strengthen his ties with China and to create an ally in Xi leading up to his summit with Trump.
In an earlier piece, I outlined potential options on the table in dealing with North Korea: diplomacy, a cyberattack targeting North Korea’s weapons technology, an assassination attempt on Kim, and a military strike on the weapons sites that we’re aware of. (That’s right: that we’re aware of.)
Out of the four options outlined, the best course of action remains the diplomatic one, even if Trump continues to deal with Kim in an unconventional manner.
Tough talk, when mixed with a little diplomacy, works. Just look at how President John F. Kennedy handled the Cuban Missile Crisis, or how President Ronald Reagan ended the Cold War.
As Winston Churchill once said, “Diplomacy is the art of telling people to go to hell in such a way that they ask for directions.” And with Trump, his unique style of diplomacy mixed with insults is working — at least for now. During this week’s talks in Beijing, Kim pledged his commitment to denuclearize North Korea and to meet with Trump. “The issue of denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula can be resolved, if South Korea and the United States respond to our efforts with goodwill, create an atmosphere of peace and stability while taking progressive and synchronous measures for the realization of peace.”
However, it is true that Kim’s grandfather and father both pledged not to pursue nuclear weapons in public, but in private they were secretly developing a program which would lead to North Korea’s first nuclear test in 2006. And to many skeptics, Kim’s statement this week to denuclearize is consistent with what’s been said out of North Korea for decades. But history has proven those denuclearization statements to be untrue.
The one advantage that Trump has going into face-to-face talks with Kim is that he’s not a career politician. He’s a results-driven, egomaniacal Washington outsider who wants to address this issue once and for all rather than kick the can down the road and leave it for the next president to deal with.
Trump, unlike previous presidents, is also unpredictable and at times ambitiously fearless. He’s also surrounded himself with the best and brightest minds and thought leaders on military strategy in the world. Both Defense Secretary Jim “Mad Dog” Mattis and White House chief of staff John Kelly are two Marine generals no one wants to deal with, especially when provoked. As Gen. Mattis famously said, “Be polite, be professional, but have a plan to kill everybody you meet.”
War is ugly. From 2007-2010, I had a front row seat to the war in Iraq. As a civilian staffer within the Office of the Secretary of Defense, I traveled to Baghdad 14 times. And although I didn’t wear the uniform, I saw war and experienced a war.
At all costs, we must avoid a war with North Korea. And that’s why we need to practice a little strategic patience and allow Trump some time to put his diplomatic skills to work, no matter how unconventional they may be.
But so far, his diplomatic skills are working, and Kim’s historic visit to Beijing this week is further proof. And perhaps during the upcoming summit, Trump can show “Little Rocket Man” why he’s also the best-selling author of The Art of the Deal.
Mark Vargas (@MarkAVargas) is a tech entrepreneur, healthcare adviser, and contributor to the Washington Examiner’s Beltway Confidential blog. From 2007-2010, he served within the Office of the Secretary of Defense.
