Top Trump aides fear he'll be outsmarted again by Kim Jong-un as he bumbles toward another North Korea summit: report

President Donald Trump is preparing to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un next week, and there are no signs that it will end well for the United States.

As was clear at his first meeting with Kim in Singapore last summer, Trump cares little about understanding the complexities of the U.S.-North Korea history or the intricacies of negotiations about denuclearization. All he cares about is the photo-op. The pageantry. Actually serving the national interest — or the world's interest in reducing the likelihood of nuclear warfare — seems to be the furthest thing from his mind.

A new Politico report Friday found that many of even Trump's loyal aides worry he is going to be outsmarted by Kim in the upcoming negotiation:

Inside the administration, concern about the upcoming summit has come from predictable skeptics, including national security adviser John Bolton, a longtime opponent of diplomacy with North Korea, but also from unexpected corners. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, the man charged with leading the negotiations, has expressed frustration to allies about the lack of diplomatic progress and voiced concern that his boss will get outmaneuvered, according to a source with direct knowledge of the conversations. Other top officials, such as former Defense Secretary James Mattis, simply worked to keep as much distance from the negotiations as possible.

“There is not optimism in the administration,” said Ian Bremmer, founder and president of the Eurasia Group. “Pompeo is deeply skeptical that we are going to get anything of substance on denuclearization from Kim Jong Un, and Pompeo believes the North Koreans are just playing for time.”

One issue insiders reportedly fear that Trump will give away without any corresponding concessions? American troops in South Korea. While the military presence there has been relatively uncontroversial in American politics, Trump has repeatedly expressed his displeasure with the situation.

While reducing American military presence overseas can be a valuable goal, it needs to be done strategically to avoid empowering dictators like Kim. Making rash decisions with little forethought can increase uncertainty among both allies and adversaries, raising the likelihood of future conflicts.

Bloomberg reported similar fears inside the administration:

A senior Trump administration official, who asked not to be identified discussing internal deliberations, said North Korean officials have so far given little away in their meetings with the top U.S. envoy for the talks, Stephen Biegun. The official said the fear is that Kim will make an offer to Trump that sounds good at the moment, inspiring the president to sacrifice something in return that goes too far.

The fact these fears are being made public may, on its own, be a significant sign. Officials may be using the press to try to get a message or a warning to Trump. However, there's no indication that this strategy has been effective at changing the president's mind or affecting his behavior in the past.