The Atlantic

Donald Trump Is Thirsty for Respect

In a speech billed as a “major statement,” the president had little to offer but a summary of his Asia trip.
Source: Joshua Roberts / Reuters

President Trump returned from a 12-day trip to Asia Tuesday carrying little except some souvenirs and a sense of umbrage. Wednesday afternoon, he stepped to a lectern in the White House and showed the nation what he brought home with him.

Trump’s speech, delivered formally, from a teleprompter, was confusing. The president had tweeted that the nation could expect a “” upon his return, feeding speculation about what he might offer: New sanctions on North Korea? A diplomatic breakthrough? A trade agreement? But as the president

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from The Atlantic

The Atlantic5 min readAmerican Government
What Nikki Haley Is Trying to Prove
This is an edition of The Atlantic Daily, a newsletter that guides you through the biggest stories of the day, helps you discover new ideas, and recommends the best in culture. Sign up for it here. Nikki Haley faces terrible odds in her home state of
The Atlantic8 min readAmerican Government
The Most Consequential Recent First Lady
This article was featured in the One Story to Read Today newsletter. Sign up for it here. The most consequential first lady of modern times was Melania Trump. I know, I know. We are supposed to believe it was Hillary Clinton, with her unbaked cookies
The Atlantic3 min read
They Rode the Rails, Made Friends, and Fell Out of Love With America
The open road is the great American literary device. Whether the example is Jack Kerouac or Tracy Chapman, the national canon is full of travel tales that observe America’s idiosyncrasies and inequalities, its dark corners and lost wanderers, but ult

Related Books & Audiobooks