The White House’s muddled message underscored the confusion sowed by Mr. Trump’s on-the-spot decision on Thursday to meet Mr. Kim. Having built its North Korea policy on sanctions and threats of military action, the administration must now learn the language of engagement.
Mr. Trump’s decision stunned allies and his own advisers, not least Secretary of State Rex W. Tillerson, who was caught unaware while traveling in Africa when the president accepted Mr. Kim’s invitation.
Mr. Tillerson’s lack of involvement in the announcement highlighted how marginalized the State Department has become in North Korea policy. The department’s chief negotiator on North Korea, Joseph Yun, resigned from the Foreign Service last week.
Other State Department officials insisted that Mr. Tillerson had not been singled out; Mr. Trump blindsided all of his advisers. And the secretary, speaking to reporters in Djibouti, argued that Mr. Trump’s decision was not the bolt from the blue that it seemed.
“This is something that he’s had on his mind for quite some time, so it was not a surprise in any way,” Mr. Tillerson said. “He’s expressed it openly before about his willingness to meet with Kim Jong-un.”
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