Update from the White House:

Statement from the Press Secretary Regarding the Hanoi Summit:

“President Donald J. Trump of the United States and Chairman Kim Jong Un of the State Affairs Commission of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea had very good and constructive meetings in Hanoi, Vietnam, on February 27-28, 2019. The two leaders discussed various ways to advance denuclearization and economic driven concepts. No agreement was reached at this time, but their respective teams look forward to meeting in the future.”

As the Summit concludes with no agreement, President Trump will be holding a press conference shortly.

WH Livestream Link – Alternate Livestream Link – Alternate Livestream Link

President Donald Trump and Chairman Kim Jong-un held extended one-on-one and small group meetings on day two of their Hanoi summit.  The schedule below may no longer be accurate (but the sequence should be roughly correct, maybe).

Vietnam is 12 hours ahead of U.S. Eastern Time. Most of the substantive public activities,  including a joint signing ceremony and POTUS Trump press conference, will take place early Thursday morning U.S. time.   Again, due to extended substantive Trump-Kim discussions, the schedule is now fluid… adjust expectations accordingly.

ABC Livestream Link – ARIRANG News Livestream

*Tentative* Schedule and Livestream(s) Below:

Sarah Sanders informs media the negotiations are ongoing but will wrap up at Metropole in next 30 to 45 minutes and Potus will return to Marriott. Press conference moved up from 4 p.m. to start at 2 p.m. She declined to say whether there would still be a joint signing ceremony but appears unlikely.

• 2:40am EST / 2:40pm (local) – President Trump departs Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi en route to the JW Marriott Hotel Hanoi. Hanoi, Vietnam
• 3:00am EST / 3:00pm (local) – President Trump arrives at the JW Marriott Hotel Hanoi. Hanoi, Vietnam
• 3:50am EST / 3:50 pm (local) – President Trump participates in a press conference. Hanoi, Vietnam
• 5:15am EST / 5:15 pm (local) – President Trump departs JW Marriott Hotel Hanoi en route to Noi Bai International Airport. Hanoi, Vietnam
• 5:55am EST / 5:55pm (local) – President Trump arrives at Noi Bai International Airport Hanoi, Vietnam
• 6:05am EST / 6:05pm (local) – President Trump departs Hanoi, Vietnam, en route to Joint Base Andrews, Noi Bai International Airport

Livestream:

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• 1:10am EST Friday Morning – President Donald Trump arrives at Joint Base Andrews
• 1:20am EST Friday Morning – President Donald Trump departs Joint Base Andrews en route to The White House, Joint Base Andrews
• 1:30am EST Friday Morning – President Trump arrives at The White House

We can somewhat throw out the schedule; President Trump and Chairman Kim held a much longer one-on-one, and informal small group discussion….. Culminating in this historic moment with the media present and the formal bilat about to begin.

First, watch Chairman Kim Jong-un take questions from U.S. media.  That’s historic. Second, and more importantly, listen carefully to the answers: MUST WATCH

U.S. Journalist: “Chairman Kim are you willing to denuclearize?”

Chairman Kim Jong-un: “If I’m not willing to do that, I won’t be here right now.”

POTUS Trump injected: “That might be the best answer you’ve ever heard.”

Rough translations of exchanges:

Another U.S. reporter asked if Chairman Kim was willing to take concrete steps to denuclearize?  Chairman Kim replied: “That’s what we are discussing right now.”

President Trump was asked if there would be a political statement to end the war?

Trump response: “No matter what happens we’ll ultimately have a deal that’s really good for Chairman Kim and his country. That’s where it’s all leading. It doesn’t mean we’re doing it in one day, in one meeting. I really believe with this great leadership North Korea, I really believe it’s going to be very successful.”

Chairman Kim was asked if he was ready for the US to have a liaison office in Pyongyang. A north Korean aide appeared to attempt to cut off questions but POTUS Trump interjected: “that’s actually an interesting question. I would like to actually like to hear that answer. “

Chairman Kim replied: “That is something that is welcomeable.”

President Trump said the idea was a “great thing.”

Chairman Kim then seemed to be done with questions: “If you’ll kindly give us more time, one minute.”

Senator Lindsey Graham discusses his recent conversation with President Trump surrounding the Hanoi summit with DPRK Chairman Kim Jong-un; and the political schemes of Democrats to undercut the peace objectives of the administration.

President Trump and Chairman Kim initial one-on-one meeting to begin day two. Both leaders appear engaged and cautiously optimistic. Again, President Trump focuses on the economic potential for a denuclearized North Korea.  [Transcript will follow]

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[Transcript] President Trump: “Well, thank you very much Chairman Kim, and it’s great to be with you again. And, I’m sure over the years we’ll be together a lot, and I think we’ll also be together after the fact, meaning after the deal is made. We had very good discussions last night at dinner, and the pre-dinner was very good. And, there were a lot of great ideas being thrown about. I think very importantly, the relationship is, you know, just very strong, and when you have a good relationship, a lot of good things happen. So, I can’t speak necessarily for today, but I can say that this, a little bit longer term, and over a period of time, I know we’re going to have a fantastic success with respect to Chairman Kim and North Korea. They’re going to have an economic powerhouse. I’ve been writing about it, I’ve been talking about it. I think it’s going to be an economic powerhouse. And it’s something I very much look forward to helping with because with a little bit of help in the right location and the right place, I think it’s going to be something very special.”

(translator for President Trump): “I’ve been saying very much from the beginning that speed is not that important to me. I very much appreciate no testing of nuclear rockets, missiles, any of it. Very much appreciate it. And, Chairman Kim and I had a great talk about that last night. I’ll let him say what he said if he’d like to and if he doesn’t, he doesn’t have to. But, we had a very good talk about that last night. And again, I am in no rush. We don’t want the testing, and we’ve developed something very special with respect to that. But, I just want to say I have great respect for Chairman Kim, and I have great respect for his country, and I believe that it will be something economically that will be almost hard to compete with for many countries. It has such potential.”

Chairman Kim (translated): “Well, it’s too early to tell, but I wouldn’t say that I’m pessimistic. From what I feel right now, I do have a feeling that good results will come out.”

President Donald Trump and Chairman Kim Jong-un begin meetings tonight on day two of their Hanoi summit.  Vietnam is 12 hours ahead of U.S. Eastern Time.  Most of the substantive action, including a joint signing and Trump press conference, will take place overnight Wednesday and early Thursday morning.

ABC Livestream Link – ARIRANG News Livestream

Schedule and Livestream Below:

• 8:25pm EST / 8:25am (local) – President Trump departs JW Marriott Hanoi en route to the Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi, Hanoi, Vietnam
• 8:45pm EST / 8:45am (local) – President Trump arrives at the Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi, Hanoi, Vietnam
• 9:00pm EST / 9:00am (local) – President Trump participates in a one-on-one bilateral meeting with Chairman Kim Jong-un of the State Affairs Commission of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. Hanoi, Vietnam
• 9:45pm EST / 9:00am (local) – President Trump participates in an expanded bilateral meeting with Chairman Kim Jong-un of the State Affairs Commission of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. Hanoi, Vietnam

• • 11:55pm EST / 11:55am (local) – President Trump participates in a working lunch with Chairman Kim Jong-un of the State Affairs Commission of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. Hanoi, Vietnam

• 2:05am EST / 2:05pm (local) – President Trump participates in a Joint Agreement Signing Ceremony with Chairman Kim Jong-un of the State Affairs Commission of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. Hanoi, Vietnam
• 2:40am EST / 2:40pm (local) – President Trump departs Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi en route to the JW Marriott Hotel Hanoi. Hanoi, Vietnam
• 3:00am EST / 3:00pm (local) – President Trump arrives at the JW Marriott Hotel Hanoi. Hanoi, Vietnam
• 3:50am EST / 3:50 pm (local) – President Trump participates in a press conference. Hanoi, Vietnam
• 5:15am EST / 5:15 pm (local) – President Trump departs JW Marriott Hotel Hanoi en route to Noi Bai International Airport. Hanoi, Vietnam
• 5:55am EST / 5:55pm (local) – President Trump arrives at Noi Bai International Airport Hanoi, Vietnam
• 6:05am EST / 6:05pm (local) – President Trump departs Hanoi, Vietnam, en route to Joint Base Andrews, Noi Bai International Airport

Livestream:

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• 1:10am EST Friday Morning – President Donald Trump arrives at Joint Base Andrews
• 1:20am EST Friday Morning – President Donald Trump departs Joint Base Andrews en route to The White House, Joint Base Andrews
• 1:30am EST Friday Morning – President Trump arrives at The White House

You might want to bookmark this congressional testimony from U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer to the House Ways and Means Committee for specific purposes…

There are many people who are understandably worried that any U.S. trade agreement between the U.S. and China might not have the most ferocious teeth behind a binding enforcement provision.  If you listen to Ambassador Lighthizer he makes clear that President Donald Trump, and the negotiating team, will not accept any agreement that does not have the strongest enforcement mechanisms at every level.

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In his testimony Lighthizer walks through the basic outline of what a U.S. successful agreement would look like.  While increased Chinese purchases to lower the deficit are a part of the goal, they are a VERY SMALL part of the goal.

The protection of U.S. intellectual property; the removal of non-tariff trade barriers; the confrontation of currency manipulation and the sector by sector enforcement provisions are the primary objective.

The Section 301 review, and the subsequent tariffs on Chinese products, is the issue that pried open the Chinese fist and allowed Lighthizer, Ross and Mnuchin to begin negotiating a trade deal.  Everything is happening as a consequence of those initial 301 tariffs; and the tariff increase is only being suspended, not removed.

Secondly, within the hearing Lighthizer is facing committee membership who have been purchased by The United States Chamber of Commerce and CoC President Tom Donohue. Those thoroughly corrupt, Wall Street purchased, globalist democrat and republican CoC politicians only care about removing the tariffs and getting back to the multinational exploitation of trade.

These corrupt political voices also do not want the USMCA.  So part of Lighthizer and Trump’s pressure on congress to get the USMCA passed, it to keep the threat of the Chinese tariffs for use against the Chamber of Commerce politicians (Dems and Republicans; the UniParty Big Club).

Lighthizer and Trump are not only fighting China, they are fighting U.S. politicians who are beneficiaries of China. They are also fighting against the U.S. CoC, the multinational corporations, Wall Street and members of both political parties who desperately want to stop any trade balance reset.

Almost half, perhaps more than half, of congress has a better financial self-interest if China can gain economic superiority over the United States.   This congressional hearing, and the severity of Lighthizer toward those purchased politicians, highlights this very tenuous internal challenge.

Stop and think about this again.

The U.S. economic, trade and manufacturing system is so structurally broken, after three decades of severe corruption by corporate financial interests: Almost half, perhaps more than half, of congress has a better financial self-interest if China can gain economic superiority over the United States.

One of those key congressional members who benefits ONLY if the USMCA is destroyed, and China rises to be the world’s primary economic power, is Mitch McConnell.  Others include Nancy Pelosi, Chuck Schumer and most senior members of both wings of the UniParty.  It is in their personal financial interest to remove Donald Trump.

There are trillions at stake.

Remember this.

Watch it as time permits, and bookmark his testimony.

President Donald Trump and Chairman Kim Jong-un enjoy a jovial social dinner at the completion of their first day of talks.  There is a genuine sense amid both leaders. The venue is Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi; which has french cuisine on the menu.

[Transcript remarks and dinner menu below]

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[Transcript] 7:08pm local – PRESIDENT TRUMP: Everybody having a good time?

Q Yes, sir.

PRESIDENT TRUMP: You are? I hope so.

One of the great photographers of the world. (Laughter.) One of the great. Make us look very good tonight, please.

Q We’ll work on that.

PRESIDENT TRUMP: One of the great photographers, actually.

CHAIRMAN KIM: (As interpreted.) We had exchanged a very interesting dialogue with each other —

PRESIDENT TRUMP: We did.

CHAIRMAN KIM: (As interpreted.) — for about 30 minutes.

PRESIDENT TRUMP: Boy, if you could have heard that dialogue, what you would pay for that dialogue. It was good.

So we’re going to have a very busy day tomorrow, and we’ll probably have a pretty quick dinner and a lot of things are going to be solved, I hope. And I think it’ll lead to wonderful — it will lead to, really, a wonderful situation long term. And our relationship is a very special relationship.

Thank you very much everybody. Thank you. See you tomorrow.

END 7:09 P.M. ICT

The White House passed along the dinner menu from this evening’s social dinner between President Trump and Chairman Kim:

Shrimp Cocktail: Chilled shrimp, romaine leaves, thousand island dressing, diced avocado, fresh lemon and herbs

Grilled Sirloin with Pear Kimchi: Marinated tender sirloin grilled with sauce, served with kimchi fermented inside a pear.

Chocolate Lava: Hot runny centered chocolate cake, chocolate crumble, with fresh berries and vanilla ice cream.

Dried Persimmon Punch: Traditional beverage sweetened with dried persimmon and honey

The majority of the political engagements between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean Chairman Kim Jong-un will take place early Wednesday morning (U.S. EST). Vietnam is 12 hours ahead of U.S. Eastern time.

Wed. Hostage Rescue Schedule and Livestream Below:

• 5:55am EST / 5:55pm (local) – President Trump departs his hotel en route to the Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi, Hanoi, Vietnam
• 6:15am EST / 6:15pm (local) – President Trump arrives at the Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi, Hanoi, Vietnam
• 6:30am EST / 6:30pm (local) – President Trump participates in a greeting with the Chairman Kim Jong-un of the State Affairs Commission of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), Hanoi, Vietnam
• 6:40am EST / 6:40pm (local) – President Trump participates in a one-on-one conversation with Chairman Kim Jong-un of the State Affairs Commission of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Hanoi, Vietnam
• 7:00am EST / 7:00pm (local) – President Trump participates in a social dinner with Chairman Kim Jong-un of the State Affairs Commission of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Hanoi, Vietnam
• 8:35am EST / 8:35pm (local) – President Trump departs the Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi en route to his hotel, Hanoi, Vietnam
• 8:55am EST / 8:55pm (local) – President Trump arrives back at his hotel, Hanoi, Vietnam

Day #1 (Wednesday Local) concludes.

HANOI – The White House said Trump would meet Kim at Hanoi’s French-colonial-era Metropole Hotel at 6:30 p.m. (6:30am U.S. EST), and have a 20-minute one-on-one conversation before a dinner scheduled to last just over an hour and a half.

[…] The two leaders, who seemed to strike up a surprisingly warm relationship at their first summit in Singapore last June, will be accompanied at dinner by two aides and interpreters, the White House said, before they meet again on Thursday. (link)

Dinner Attendees from the United States include:

T.H. Donald J. Trump, President of the United States of America
1. Secretary Mike Pompeo, Department of State
2. Mr. Mick Mulvaney, Assistant to the President and Acting Chief of Staff
Dr. Yun-hyang Lee, Interpreter

Dinner Attendees from the Democrat People’s Republic of Korea include:

H.E. Kim Jong Un, Chairman of the State Affairs Commission of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea
1. Mr. Kim Yong Chol, Vice Chairman, Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea
2. Mr. Ri Yong Ho, Minister of Foreign Affairs
Ms. Sin Hye Yong, Interpreter

Don’t be surprised to see the 6:30pm to 8:30pm time together between President Trump and Chairman Kim get extended; perhaps significantly extended. President Trump has a tendency to engage complex issues simply by cutting through the Gordian knot.

Both advance teams from the U.S. and DPRK have been on the ground in Hanoi for several weeks working out details comfortable to both leaders.

LIVESTREAM:

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President Donald Trump and North Korean Chairman Kim Jong-un conduct their first one-on-one discussion during the historic Hanoi Summit (interesting remarks):

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[Transcript] Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi, Hanoi, Vietnam – 6:33pm (local)

CHAIRMAN KIM: (As interpreted.) So it’s exactly 261 days since we met last time in Singapore, in June, last year.

PRESIDENT TRUMP: Yes.

CHAIRMAN KIM: (As interpreted.) And I truly believe that this successful and great meeting that we are having today is thanks to the courageous decision — political decision that your team, Mr. President, reached.

So, during that 261 days since we last met, there have been some misunderstandings. There have been all these eyes from the world who are misunderstanding the situation. But — and there was some hostility that still remains from the very, very past period that — from the outside.

PRESIDENT TRUMP: Right.

CHAIRMAN KIM: (As interpreted.) But, however, we have been able to overcome all the obstacles, and here we are today after 261 days, in Hanoi.

I actually believe that those 261 days were the days which were — and during which a lot of painstaking efforts were necessary and also a lot of patience were needed.

But here we are today, sitting next to each other, and that gives us a hope that we will be successful with time. And I will really try to make that happen.

PRESIDENT TRUMP: Thank you very much. That’s really nice.

Well, I want to just say it’s an honor to be with Chairman Kim. It’s an honor to be together in, really, a country, Vietnam, where they’ve really rolled out the red carpet and they’ve — they’re very honored to have us. And it’s great to be with you.

We had a very successful first summit. I felt it was very successful, and some people would like to see it go quicker. I’m satisfied; you’re satisfied. We want to be happy with what we’re doing. But I thought the first summit was a great success. And I think this one, hopefully, will be equal or greater than the first. And we made a lot progress, and I think the biggest progress was our relationship is really a good one.

And as I’ve said many times — and I say it to the press, I say it to anybody that wants to listen: I think that your country has tremendous economic potential. Unbelievable. Unlimited. And I think that you will have a tremendous future with your country — a great leader. And I look forward to watching it happen and helping it to happen. And we will help it to happen.

Thank you all very much. We appreciate it. And we’re going to go have dinner, and then we have some big meetings scheduled for tomorrow. And we’ll see you, I guess, at a news conference at some point during the day. Thank you very much.

Q Mr. President, do you have any reaction to Michael Cohen and his testimony?

PRESIDENT TRUMP: (Shakes head.)

END 6:37 P.M. ICT

President Donald Trump and North Korean Chairman Kim Jong-un meet for the first time at the Hanoi, Vietnam, summit.   The location for the initial greeting, handshake and photo opportunity is the Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi.

Remarks by President Trump – 6:28pm (local)

Q Mr. President, what do you hope to achieve in your talks with the Chairman?

PRESIDENT TRUMP: I think they’ll be very successful. Great relationship. I think they’re going to be very successful. We look forward to it. We both do.

Q Have you walked back at all on denuclearization in North Korea?

PRESIDENT TRUMP: No.

Thank you all very much. Thank you. Thank you.

Q Mr. President, are you going to declare an end to the Korean War, sir?

PRESIDENT TRUMP: We’ll see. We’ll be seeing.

Thank you. Thank you all very much. You’re coming back here in a while.