Five Things You May Have Missed in the US and Americas This Week
Here are five important events in US domestic politics you may have missed this week.
(1) Mixed messages on Russian sanctions.
During a weekend appearance on ‘Face the Nation’, US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley revealed that the US was planning to announce fresh sanctions on Russian companies that dealt with Bashar al-Assad and chemical weapons. But the sanctions did not materialize. Instead, senior administration officials disclosed to reporters on Tuesday that the White House originally planned to roll out Russian sanctions in addition to last Friday’s targeted airstrikes in Syria. It was reported that Donald Trump chose to forego Russian sanctions after talking points on the sanctions had already been distributed.
The issue was compounded when Larry Kudlow, director of the National Economic Council, said that Haley had been ‘momentarily confused’ which prompted Haley to respond ‘I don’t get confused.’ The high-profile foreign policy infighting involving Haley, who has largely been seen as in tune with the US president, comes while the administration is in the middle of a high-level staff reshuffle and several high-stake negotiations.
(2) Mike Pompeo’s secret meeting with Kim Jong-un.
On Tuesday, President Trump divulged to reporters that the US has ‘had direct talks at very high levels, extremely high levels, with North Korea’. Mike Pompeo, the current CIA director and nominee to replace Rex Tillerson as secretary of state, secretly travelled to North Korea to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. Trump confirmed on Wednesday that Pompeo and Kim Jong-un’s meeting was in preparation for a historic face-to-face summit between the two leaders, who have been publicly threatening each other for months.
If the summit comes to pass, it will be the first ever meeting between a sitting US president and the leader of North Korea. But serious questions remain about whether a deal can be found which is amenable to both sides — let alone to other key regional powers such as South Korea, Japan and China.
(3) Political implications of Cuba’s presidential transition.
Cuba’s National Assembly has selected Miguel Diaz-Canel as the country’s next president. Diaz-Canel’s confirmation marks the first time since 1959 that a Castro is not in power. However, outgoing President Raúl Castro will continue to retain influence as the first secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba until 2021. Castro officially became president in 2008, following the resignation of his brother Fidel.
This political transition could potentially have considerable implications for the US’ relationship with Cuba. That relationship has been fraught since Fidel came to power in 1959. Relations improved from 2014–17, including a relaxation of travel restrictions and a re-opening of embassies, but those measures have been partially reversed by the Trump administration. A new Cuban leader might create an opportunity to reverse the slide, but the Trump administration has not yet indicated that it is reconsidering its position.
(4) Trump rejects TPP involvement — again.
In mid-April, Trump expressed renewed interest in re-joining the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). Less than a week later, Trump has backtracked by proclaiming via Twitter that he doesn’t ‘like the deal for the United States’, stating a preference for bilateral deals that are ‘more efficient, profitable and better’ for American workers.
It’s unclear what exactly prompted Trump to switch his views on TPP again, which came in the middle of his meetings with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. While Trump and Abe failed to find common ground on trade during the meetings, they were able to present a common front regarding engagement with North Korea.
(5) Senate Majority Leader blocks vote on bill to protect Muller.
While pressure to protect Mueller has come mostly from Democrats, some Republican Senators, such as Thom Tillis of North Carolina who co-sponsored the latest bill, are also backing Mueller. However, absent McConnell’s endorsement the bill won’t face a Senate vote — let alone muster the 2/3 majorities in both houses it would need to become law over a potential presidential veto.
