BREAKING TRADITION

Trump Scraps Visit to North Korean Border: ‘It’s a Cliché’

U.S. presidents have traditionally visited the DMZ to show solidarity with South Korea.

President Trump will skip a visit to the heavily militarized border between North and South Korea during his 12-day Asia tour next week, breaking with White House tradition. As one senior administration official explained to The Guardian: “The president is not going to visit the DMZ, there is not enough time in the schedule.” The official added: “It’s becoming a little bit of a cliché, frankly.” American presidents have long stood in the demilitarized zone as a show of U.S. solidarity with its South Korean allies. While Trump will not visit the area, Vice President Mike Pence, Defense Secretary James Mattis, and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson have all been there this year.