Not the Onion: U.S. Secretary of State Brings “Rocket Man” CD to North Korea for Kim Jong-un
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo left for North Korea on Thursday for denuclearization talks and brought two gifts for leader Kim Jong-un.
One is a letter from U.S. President Donald Trump and the other an Elton John CD with his song “Rocket Man.”
Sources in Washington said the gifts reflect Trump’s expectations that Kim will follow through on the pledges in an agreement the two signed at their summit.
One diplomatic source in Washington said, “The ‘Rocket Man’ CD was the subject of discussion during Trump’s lunch with Kim. Kim mentioned that Trump referred to him as ‘rocket man’ when tensions ran high last year” after a series of nuclear tests and missile launches by the North. “Trump then asked Kim if he knew the song and Kim said no.”
Trump remembered the conversation and told Pompeo to take a CD with the song for Kim. He reportedly wrote a message on it and signed it.
Kim is expected to respond with a DVD containing the new North Korean hit “Deranged Dotard.” I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.
By the way, Trump’s letter was a very nice letter. Oh, would you like to see what was in that letter. It was a very interesting letter. I . . . haven’t read the letter yet. I may be in for a big surprise, folks!
UPDATE: AZ Bob has this great line in the comments: “If he wanted to insult him, he would have given him an iPod full of Obama’s speeches.” That is A+ humor. Thanks for the line.
[Cross-posted at The Jury Talks Back.]
if you look at this through a lens of good-natured humor it looks like good-natured humor
happyfeet (28a91b) — 7/6/2018 @ 10:28 ammy favorite one’s Levon
he was born a pauper to a pawn on a christmas day
that’s off the Madman Across the Water cd (rocket man‘s on Honky Château)
happyfeet (28a91b) — 7/6/2018 @ 10:32 amThat’s totally how I expect Kim Jong-un to look at it.
When I look at Kim Jong-un and his regime, I see a bunch of people whose favorite thing is good-natured humor.
Patterico (115b1f) — 7/6/2018 @ 10:34 amTwo clowns with funny hair putting on a show for their respective constituencies and both looking to China to actually come up with something sensible.
And I said this at least a year ago.
nk (dbc370) — 7/6/2018 @ 10:35 amThe news here is they have CD players in North Korea.
DCSCA (797bc0) — 7/6/2018 @ 10:45 amIf he wanted to insult him, he would have given him an iPod full of Obama’s speeches.
AZ Bob (9a6ada) — 7/6/2018 @ 10:47 amI hope Mr. Pompeo has a lovely and productive visit
President Trump’s done so much to set a new tone and to advance the discussion
this is where we were at this time last year
North Korea state media celebrates ‘gift’ to ‘American bastards’
wow this is a startling change
happyfeet (28a91b) — 7/6/2018 @ 10:54 am5: Best Buy just announced they aren’t selling CD’s anymore, so more is coming to Fat Kim.
6; that treatment will make an east Asian go full Duterte.
urbanleftbehind (944c49) — 7/6/2018 @ 10:54 amClinton gave me nukes, all I got from Trump was a lousy CD.
Which diplomacy do you prefer?
btw – have always loved Honky Château
harkin (fabd28) — 7/6/2018 @ 12:07 pmA gay time will be had by all.
Ed from SFV (6d42fa) — 7/6/2018 @ 12:07 pmPrevious – change ‘me’ to ‘us’.
harkin (fabd28) — 7/6/2018 @ 12:08 pmWe celebrate Nixon getting on with Mao, we live out the whole khmer rouge element
narciso (d1f714) — 7/6/2018 @ 12:30 pmhttps://www.rushlimbaugh.com/daily/2018/07/06/with-paul-manafort-in-solitary-deep-state-targets-jim-jordan/amp/
Song #1 on the Trump to Kim mix-
Beldar (fa637a) — 7/6/2018 @ 12:31 pmtapeCD: “You Can’t Always Get What You Want,” by the Stones.Here some memories of that North Korean sense of humor. Had ’em laughing until they dropped from hunger…
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2014/12/18/sony-hack-timeline-interview-north-korea/20601645/
Appalled (c9622b) — 7/6/2018 @ 12:42 pmPutting aside Rocket Man CDs, The Economist has a good six-point plan. I didn’t know that the sanctity of nuclear program was baked into their constitution.
Paul Montagu (91b6ad) — 7/6/2018 @ 12:44 pmHow many dead was Mao responsible for was it merely 290 million or close to 50 million
narciso (d1f714) — 7/6/2018 @ 12:45 pmHere’s some more of that NoKo laughter on display:
http://web.archive.org/web/20060212175629/http:/www.korea-dpr.com/cgi-bin/simpleforum.cgi?fid=04&topic_id=1127055507
Appalled (c9622b) — 7/6/2018 @ 12:45 pmThat’s a good one.
A+
Patterico (115b1f) — 7/6/2018 @ 12:47 pm#13 — I suspect most of the mixtape was the audiobook for Art of the Deal.
Appalled (c9622b) — 7/6/2018 @ 12:47 pmUPDATE: AZ Bob has this great line in the comments: “If he wanted to insult him, he would have given him an iPod full of Obama’s speeches.” That is A+ humor. Thanks for the line.
Patterico (115b1f) — 7/6/2018 @ 12:48 pmOn a smaller scale, the death toll in Venezuela and nucaagua is abut 150 by their colectivos roving death gangs
narciso (d1f714) — 7/6/2018 @ 12:49 pmA “Rocket Man” CD. And yesterday he insulted McCain and GHW Bush. One is fighting for his life and the other just lost his wife. A no-class billionaire.
He had to buy Mar-a-Lago just to have a country club…. that would let him join.
noel (96c84f) — 7/6/2018 @ 2:28 pm“No class billionaire” is being kind. Try “orange-skinned pansy who wouldn’t make a pimple on the asses of real men like McCain and GHW Bush”. Which is why he denigrates them. To make himself look less bad by comparison.
nk (dbc370) — 7/6/2018 @ 8:16 pmmccain isn’t a real man he’s a slithery torture-turd who doesn’t have the grace courage or class to resign
he’s not a role model that for sure he’s more like a cautionary tale of what happens when they do something to your brain
happyfeet (28a91b) — 7/6/2018 @ 8:29 pmhe’s so awful
happyfeet (28a91b) — 7/6/2018 @ 8:29 pmI’m sorta thinking a song that fits this situation better would be “Have Mercy on the Criminal”.
Bill H (383c5d) — 7/7/2018 @ 12:40 amState Dept. says copy of Elton John ‘Rocket Man’ CD not delivered to Kim
oh so this was just more fake news
happyfeet (28a91b) — 7/7/2018 @ 11:04 am