Nixon WH lawyer: Trump is out of his league meeting with Kim Jong Un

The former White House lawyer to President Nixon slammed President Trump for agreeing to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, saying Trump is “playing way out of his league.”

“This is not a ‘Nixon to China’ moment,” John Dean tweeted Friday, in reference to Nixon’s historic weeklong visit to China during his presidency. “Trump is playing way out of his league and the world knows it. Kim knows it.”

“Much can go very wrong and Trump won’t read a briefing book,” he continued. “Going to be interesting— and extremely dangerous. Kim will give him a parade and have his mind/heart.” 

This is not a “Nixon to China” moment. Trump is playing way out of his league and the world knows it. Kim knows it. Much can go very wrong and Trump won’t read a briefing book. Going to be interesting— and extremely dangerous. Kim will give him a parade and have his mind/heart. https://t.co/jmowg7ZDIn

— John Dean (@JohnWDean) March 9, 2018

South Korea’s national security adviser announced Thursday night that Trump had agreed to meet with Kim by May in an effort to see North Korea abandon its nuclear ambitions.

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White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Trump accepted the invitation to meet with Kim “at a place and time to be determined.”

“We look forward to the denuclearization of North Korea,” Sanders said in a statement shortly after the announcement. “In the meantime, all sanctions and maximum pressure must remain.” 

Trump later took to Twitter to say sanctions against North Korea will “remain until an agreement is reached” over the country’s nuclear program.

If the meeting takes place, Trump will become the first sitting U.S. president to meet with North Korea’s leader.

During a background call with reporters, a senior administration official emphasized that the agreed-upon meeting between Trump and Kim stopped short of negotiations between the two countries.

Members of the Trump administration have previously said they’d be willing to hold talks with North Korea, but that those talks would remain focused on getting Pyongyang to abandon its nuclear program.