In a reversal that is perhaps unsurprising given the predictably unpredictable White House, the US-North Korea summit is back on.
On Friday, Trump made the announcement that the talks will be held on June 12 in Singapore as originally scheduled. According to reports, a letter from North Korean leader Kim Jong Un addressed to Trump prompted this change of heart, though the exact contents of said letter are unknown. The announcement also followed a White House visit from North Korean envoy and former spy Kim Yong Chol, the highest-level meeting between the US and North Korea since 2000. Trump seemed optimistic about the summit, and dismissed the tension that prompted the initial cancellation - including North Korea's harsh criticism of US Vice President Mike Pence and threats of nuclear war - as something that the US was "totally over."
Trump also met with another Kim this past week: Kim Kardashian, who came to the White House to discuss prison reform and intercede on behalf of Alice Johnson, a woman sentenced to life in prison without parole for a first-time, non-violent drug offense. The visit provoked mixed reactions from the public, but Kardashian reportedly felt Trump "really understood" and expected there would be a "positive outcome."
Aside from his meeting with Kardashian, Trump stayed true to his media and celebrity roots by lashing out at comedian Samantha Bee via Twitter (NYSE: TWTR) after Bee referred to his daughter, Ivanka Trump, as a "feckless c***" on her TBS (NYSE: TWX) show. "Why aren't they firing no talent Samantha Bee for the horrible language used on her low ratings show?" Trump wrote. Trump also critiqued Disney CEO Bob Iger (NYSE: DIS), who owns ABC, for failing to apologize to Trump for "horrible statements" made about him on the network. Trump did not censure or otherwise remark upon Roseanne Barr, whose show on ABC was cancelled after she made public and racist remarks about former Obama adviser Valerie Jarrett.
Trump also pardoned conservative author and filmmaker Dinesh D'Souza, who pleaded guilty to violating federal campaign finance laws in 2014 by illegally using straw donors to contribute to Republican Senate Candidate Wendy Long in 2012. The pardon was controversial because it did not follow traditional pardon procedures - procedures that Trump also sidestepped with previous pardons - because D'Souza admitted his guilt, and because D'Souza himself is a contentious figure. Trump hinted that more pardons, including of Martha Stewart and former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, both of whom appeared as contestants on Trump's "Apprentice" TV series, may be in the works.
In more serious news, Trump forged ahead with tariffs against allies Canada, Mexico, and the EU on steel and aluminum. The countries have vowed to respond in kind. In addition to starting trade disputes, the tariffs could also hit American consumers with price increases on a variety of products. The US is also proceeding with tariffs against China. While U.S. Steel (NYSE: X) rose 3% on the news, the market as a whole sank.
At least there is one bit of good economic news: the US unemployment rate hit 3.8%, its lowest level since 2000.