U.S. Mints Garish Coin for Trump-Kim Summit That Might Not Happen

[babylonsister]

http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2018/05/u-s-mints-coin-for-trump-kim-summit-that-might-not-happen.html?utm_source=fb&utm_medium=y1&utm_campaign=slate

U.S. Mints Garish Coin for Trump-Kim Summit That Might Not Happen
By Benjamin Hart


There’s significant doubt about whether the high-stakes talks between President Trump and Kim Jong-un, planned for June 12 in Singapore, will actually come off. Kim abruptly threatened to back out of the meeting last week, while Trump — whose strategy for the entire affair consists of winging it — is reportedly (and rightly) worrying that he’s about to get played by the North Korean dictator.

But whatever ends up happening, we’ll always have … this.

Link to tweet

Yes, the U.S. government has gone ahead and minted a gaudy, QVC-ready coin to celebrate a meeting that may not actually take place, and is extremely unlikely to lead to the denuclearization Trump has demanded even if it does.

The coin, of which 250 have been minted, depicts a notably youthful Trump hunched over in optimum dealmaker posture, glaring at a double-chinned Kim, who is referred to as “Supreme Leader,” in a nice bit of deference.

It’s the perfect gift for the #MAGA-minded coin collector who enjoys heavyweight-fight iconography mixed with a little diplomatic wish fulfillment. Now all this summit needs is a Don King–branded nickname. Perhaps “The War in Singapore?”

Hmm, maybe not that one.

[dalton99a]

1. Gaudy trash, like WWE memorabilia

[underpants]

2. Trump isn't depicted as being taller?

I'm surprised.

[bullwinkle428]

3. This HAS to be a joke. Please, Onion or Borowitz - confirm that this is a joke?

[lpbk2713]

4. A bottle cap?

[redwitch]

14. A hub cap?

Goes great with other trashy car decorations.

[Sneederbunk]

5. Looks like Kim is laughing at Dotard.

[oberliner]

6. Does Kim John Un even refer to himself as The Supreme Leader?

[DemoHack]

7. That's not the Russian flag!

Get his hammer-n-sickle on there.

[malaise]

8. Jebus Effin' Krist

He's the king of the skeevys - the scumbag really has delusions of grandeur.

[Freethinker65]

9. Looks like something the Franklin Mint might sell

[OldHippieChick]

10. They've sold all the t-shirts, mugs and baseball

hats and need a new trinket to raise campaign funds. What a grifter.

[Lee-Lee]

11. It's a military challenge coin. I don't think most commenting understand them

It isn’t a product of the US mint, for starters.

These are made by military commanders to be given to subordinates. Sometimes they are for an on-the-spot recognition of a job well done, if a General or CSM sees some young enlisted Soldier doing something above and beyond they can walk up to her and tell her good job and hand her the coin as recognition- traditionally is handed off in the palm during a handhake.

Other times they are made for all members of a unit or team for a special mission. Or sometimes it’s both, key members of an important mission all get one and then they are also given to people from other units who go above and beyond to assist them.

For example here is one that was made for President Obama’s 2016 visit to Spain:

https://m.ebay.com/itm/Challenge-Coin-2016-Visit-Trip-President-Obama-Spain-White-House-Staff-POTUS-/371890963399

Granted Obama’s coins were always more tasteful, but that’s true about everything comparing the two.

But I think people are getting the wrong idea here and bashing as something the Trump admin has done when it’s really an old military tradition and these were probably ordered by the commander tasked with organizing and running the military support for it for his or her troops as a souvenir of being part of a historic event, regardless of who POTUS is.

[Brother Buzz]

13. Note: Obama handed out challenge coins on the quiet without fanfare or headlines

[Lee-Lee]

15. Because he is classy like that

And I imagine that a Trump coin would burn my hand like that scene from Raiders of The Lost Ark.

[ProudLib72]

12. Worthless and will blow up in your pocket at the slightest bump

[Vinca]

16. I notice they lopped off a couple of Dear Leader's chins (ours, not theirs).

[0rganism]

17. if it doesn't happen, will they still sell the coins?

and will the people who buy the coins believe that it did happen but fake news didn't cover it?

hmm, actually, if it doesn't happen i might want one of those coins -- possibly an appropriate memento of the Trump presidency, but only if it doesn't happen.

[Retrograde]

18. Is there a chance Trump will make some $$?

Then yes, they'll sell them - and any other tacky junk they can.