One of the reasons US presidents have refused a one-on-one meeting with the leader of North Korea, is because they do not want to legitimize a murderous dictatorship internationally.
But Trump's desire for a photo op and reality TV "win" far outweighed all other concerns.
Now Kim Jong-un's profile has been raised and magnified tenfold.
Check out the reception at the Marina Bay Sands in Singapore Kim Jong received.
On Fox News Sunday, Gov. Richardson and expert Gordon Chang told host Chris Wallace that during Tuesday's meeting, Trump should not be photographed shaking hands with the NOKO leader, because the images will be used as propaganda for decades.
Richardson said, "The only caution I would give the president is not be photographed too much with a smiling Kim Jong-un because they use that in North Korea for dramatic propaganda purposes. The North Koreans have already gotten one major concession, a meeting with the president."
No matter what happens at this summit, this meeting means more to Kim Jong's dictatorship than the meet-and-greet does to Trump's presidency.
Chang said, "Because certainly, Kim wants the photographs of him shaking hands with President Trump because that's legitimization. And even more important, that means he solidifies his rule at home, because we are going to see those pictures of Trump and Kim for decades in North Korea."
He continued, "So, you know, President Trump gives up a lot of leverage as soon as he shakes hands with Kim and that means if he doesn't get firm commitments to dismantle the weapons programs, then we're going to be working uphill. We can do that because we've got a lot of leverage, but it nonetheless puts Kim in the driver's seat, at least for a little while."
In any event, the North Korean leader has now gained an international stature that he never enjoyed before.
On CNN early this morning, while Fox News ignored the spectacle, CNN correspondent Paula Hancocks reported on the surreal and bizarre images of the NOKO leader doing a walkabout in Singapore.
Hancocks said, "It is quite surreal. this is a North Korean dictator that is being shown around Singapore, by the foreign minister."
"There were some people that were sort of crowding around, trying to take photos, waving at Kim Jong-un as well and he looked very pleased and seemed to be enjoying himself as he was walking around. This is really quite significant pictures that we are looking at."
Hancocks remarked that the North Korean dictator does these types of propaganda visits which are highly orchestrated in his own country, but to see it take place here is quite something else.
Not only is Trump normalizing white nationalism and blatant propaganda in America, he is now passing on his self-promoting narcissism to a brutal and murderous dictator.
