As part of Liberty Nation’s deep dive analysis of President Donald Trump’s tour of Asia, we’ll be examining what events take place, the significance of them, and most importantly, how the media are spinning it.
President Trump has moved his tour to the Philippines where he is attending the ASEAN Summit (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) and talking business and security with controversial president Rodrigo Duterte. This is going to be a major part of the visit as Duterte is under almost constant fire for his human rights record.
The fact that there is a town under ISIS control on the Filipino mainland is of major concern to all. Whilst it is likely President Trump is safe, it will not stop “anti-American” protestors making their voices known (why is it that the U.S. media is not reporting that the protestors are more than likely ISIS supporters?). If you want to know how the tour is going, check out yesterday’s column here on LN.
The Background
This was always going to be a difficult visit. Either the two men would go at each other trading blow for blow, or they were going to get on like a house on fire. It turns out the latter is true. In the recent past, President Trump has (to much chagrin of the media) congratulated Duterte on his hard-line stance on drug dealers (which has included execution) and dealing with the ISIS threat in his country.
President Duterte seems to respond well to Trump, unlike he did with Obama who he canceled a state visit with after losing patience and calling him a “Son of a b***.”
The Events
One of the biggest events today had little to do with president Trump’s tour, and more to do with relations between the U.S. and North Korea. In response to NK once again calling the president a “dotard,” Trump responded;
“Why would Kim Jong-un insult me by calling me "old," when I would NEVER call him "short and fat??” Oh well, I try so hard to be his friend - and maybe someday that will happen!”
The media are unsure how to take this. They are ecstatic about reporting it but appear too stunned to provide commentary and judgment.
Ostensibly, this is a meeting between South East Asian nations, in reality, it is a chance for making deals and setting out joint plans for economic and security cooperation. The ASEAN summit included speeches, conferences and private meetings between world leaders.
One of the major meetings was between President Trump and India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi. A standard photo opportunity is merely the surface of the talks that are taking place. This is also a chance for other nations to speak away from the eyes of China.
The Expectations
The world’s media was divided into camps on what would happen in the Philippines. Half thought that the two presidents would get along well and begin working together on trade and security. Yet the other half assumed that President Duterte would fall afoul of Trump’s bluntness and begin a diplomatic rant against him.
President Duterte performs a karaoke duet with the famous local pop singer Pilita Corrales in honor of President Trump. Duterte said he had performed, "on the orders of the commander-in-chief of the United States".
The Spin
The big issue for the leftist media today seems to be the protests at the American Embassy in the Philippines. Reports state that these are “anti-American” protestors reacting to Trump’s visit (thereby linking the protestors to President Trump).
The reality is that these are likely part of or organized by the ISIS fanatics who presently control Marawi City. It is dishonest and dangerous to not point out that Islamic radicals are behind the protest, and it ignores (purposely) the fact that ISIS is NOT a reaction to U.S. foreign policy.
In other breaking world news, major news outlets are reporting that President Trump misspelled the word “Philippines.”
Behind the Curtain
Behind the scenes, talks between President Trump and South East Asian world leaders will have a huge impact on the area’s economy. The presence of Prime Minister Modi all but guarantees that there will be a major trade arrangement discussed, quite how Trump will get involved is unknown.
President Duterte will be talking with Trump about the encroachment on Filipino waters by China and be asking for help in “persuading” Beijing to pull back in favor of good relations and better trade arrangements.
Speculation is also rife regarding the Philippines asking to be “taken into the fold” of U.S. administration under a short-term deal. The nation has previously been administered by the U.S. from the end of the Spanish American civil war until just after the Second World War. While the nation will want to remain independent, they may want to have a closer relationship in terms of security, immigration, and business.
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Check back in with Liberty Nation tomorrow to get more on this historic Grand Tour.
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