Trump diplomacy at work

President Trump’s behavior at the G-20 meeting in Japan may have hit a new low mark, even for him.

He sat with America’s biggest enemy — Russia’s Vladimir Putin — and, when asked by a reporter if Trump would raise Russia’s meddling in our election in 2016 pointed a playful finger at the Russian side and mockingly reprimanded them. telling them not to meddle in our elections again! A fine laugh was shared by the leaders, a schoolgirl kind of giggle over their little inside joke. Clearly Russia will meddle again and clearly Trump knows (now if he didn’t in 2016) that interference can only help him.

It was obvious that Trump at some point would say, see, I told Putin not to mess with us so quit asking me. And, indeed, in a press conference later he said about the exchange, “you have to look at the words.” Yes, sir, but you also have to watch the video — you said it with a laugh. I have a feeling that Putin took it, as did millions of others, as light-hearted banter and not a serious rebuke.

Next, as he said “thank you,” signaling the photo opp was over and the media should leave, he leaned again into his BBF Putin and said “fake news,” pointing at the exiting media and telling Putin “you don’t have that problem” or words to that effect. To which Putin, ever the joker himself, responded “yes we do.” A riotous remark because Russia does not have a free press and Putin literally has had killed some of his critics in journalism in Russia.