In current international affairs, Trump’s meeting with N. Korean Leader Kim Jong Un could possibly be coupled with misunderstanding and renewed tension.
However, for this year’s midterm elections, where control of the House of Representatives will be determined, analysts mostly see an upside for Republicans.
Trump is meeting Kim on today in Singapore, in an effort to bring together two leaders, that were a year ago, were threatening military use.
A recent poll shows Trump is meeting with support from a wide swath of Americans, but expectations are so low Trump can count the meeting as a win unless the outcome is disastrous. Shibley Telhami, Director of the University of Maryland Critical Issues Poll, said: “It does give the president an opportunity to claim success with the American people.”
More than a third of Americans believe Trump will make progress on “some issues” but not on denuclearization, the poll states. However, three in 10 said they expect the summit to fail.
A third of Americans — including 17% of independents — said the run-up to the summit gave them a more positive view of Trump, compared with 14% who said it created more negative feelings and nearly half who said Trump’s diplomatic efforts in Asia had no impact on their views of him.
“I expect the reaction to be partisan because our partisan divide is so deep that it is overtaking any objective analysis of consequences,” Telhami also said.
"The fact that he is about to have a photo with the leader of North Korea, that is a big deal," said Frank Luntz, a Republican political consultant. "The visual is 10 times more important than the words."
The president has stated there's no likelihood of a breakthrough agreement. He stressed he doesn't expect much from his meeting, other than laying the foundation for a relationship that has been virtually dead for decades.
Analysts said they agree that some progress with North Korea would bode well and be seen as a victory. Sadly though, the feeling shared by analysts is that the threat of sanctions and tough talks would have the same effect on Trump's base as a peaceful outcome.