Melania Trump was sent in to end the meeting between Trump and Putin

[JonLP24]

The First Lady couldn't stop the two leaders talking at the international conference as their face-to-face discussion went on for over two hours

Melania Trump was sent in to end the meeting between her husband and Russian leader Vladimir Putin when it overran, but she was unable to stop the pair from talking for another hour, according to Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.

The First Lady "failed" in her bid to bring the face-to-face conversation to a close as the US President's team tried to get on with their schedule at the G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany.

President Trump had been due to talk to the Russian leader for 30 minutes, but spent two-hours-and-16 minutes discussing a ceasefire in southwest Syria, Ukraine, the fight against terrorism and cyber-security before the meeting ended.

Mr Tillerson told the Washington Examiner magazine: "Several times I had to remind the president, people were sticking their heads in the door. They even sent in the first lady at one point to see if she could get us out of there, and that didn't work either.

"We went another hour after she came in to see us, so clearly, she failed."

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/politics/melania-trump-stop-meeting-donald-trump-vladimir-putin-g20-conference-hamburg-germany-protesters-us-a7830331.html

[democratisphere]

1. It's all about "normalizing" relations so there is a free flow of Russian $$$$

for drumpf's businesses. Nothing else really matters to drumpf et al.

[Mike Nelson]

2. Who are...

...the "they" trying to end the meeting? This sounds fake. Probably, the "story" is written to show how wonderful it was that Trump and Putin talked for over 30 minutes.

[JonLP24]

4. Aides

Apparently they tried several times to end the meeting unsuccessfully so they sent Melania in there to keep to the schedule but it lasted 2 and a half hours instead of 30 minutes.

I first heard of this story on PBS Newshour so I looked for the story and posted it.

[malaise]

3. This is not how a government is supposed to work

The wife and daughter are not Federal Employees - Contrary to his belief Groper Don the Con is not a fucking emperor or a one Don authoritarian. These are rank amateurs and it really looks bad.

[spanone]

5. bullshit story

[JonLP24]

6. If that is the case than I have no idea what is true or bullshit

I might as well not read or watch the news because what is the point?

[spanone]

7. i saw this story that melania was sent in to break up the meeting that had gone too long.

i just find that hard to believe....sounds like a bullshit story put out by the trump camp.

[JonLP24]

8. I first heard of the story on PBS Newshour

The reporter outside of the G20 said the same thing to Judy Woodruff so if I can't trust PBS Newshour who can I?

I believe it to be true. It is believable that Trump had a tight schedule or they worried about the optics of Trump in a meeting with Putin a little too long and I can see aides trying unsuccessfully to end a meeting so they tried with Melania thinking she would be more successful.

I have no idea why pro Trump people would want this out there as this makes them look bad all the way around.

[spanone]

11. i'm not questioning the news services....i'm questioning the story they were told.

i think the story they were trying to put out was that trump was so engaged that they couldn't stop the meeting...and we know that's not true

[JonLP24]

15. Well the meeting did last over 2 hours

But something like this can be open to interpretation.

[GoCubsGo]

9. Pootie Poot's list of orders must have been really long.

[Buns_of_Fire]

10. She should have tried my father's approach:

A water hose, with the spigot turned full "on".

Well, it usually worked with the occasional pair of stray dogs having a "meeting" in the front yard...

[Ms. Toad]

16. Please stop insulting Trump by insinuating he's gay.

I'm tired of being treated as acceptable collateral damage in the "anything goes" as long as it insults Trump.

Using gay as an insult inherently treats being gay as bad.

[CincyDem]

12. The conspiracy theorist in me believes she chosen to go in because...

...she's his wife and, if I'm not mistaken, can not be compelled to testify against her husband. Consider that anyone who entered the room might inadvertently over hear something incriminating. I've been the one to go into meeting like that before and I've been able to pick up a lot from that brief walk...downsizings, divestitures, potential JV partners, etc. She can stay silent - other staffers may be in a position requiring testimony.

So...send her in.

Alternatively, it was a set up so PINO could parade her around in front of Vald and implicitly say "hey, you got one of these at home?" It would be in total character - performance art at the G(20-1).

[PCIntern]

13. Ed Zachary correct. nt

[CincyDem]

14. Also - this is why she didn't go on the tour of the climate center with the other spouses...

...just in case she was needed for this work.


She was the official "go in" guy/girl for this meeting. It happens in corporate and I have to imagine that it happens in gov't.

so, to that story about security concerns keeping her locked up in her hotel, I call bullchit - Trump's personal lawyer team anointed her the go in girl for obvious reasons.

[PCIntern]

17. I've seen this behavior and role-playing many times

as a clinician: the anointed caretaker accompanies the patient. No mention is made of distress or confusion of the latter. They're just there for "support".