Hoshi warns Trump's legacy search could bring North Korea concessions

The Japanese commentator sees risks in a turn toward foreign-policy deals, including the possibility of talks that leave Tokyo outside the room.

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【アメリカ中間選挙】共和党大敗で内政はレームダック状態…トランプ大統領は外交で足跡を狙う？日本への影響は【Nスタ解説】｜TBS NEWS DIG

A compromise over North Korea's nuclear weapons could appeal to Donald Trump as a way to secure a place in history, Japanese political commentator Hiroshi Hoshi warns after the Republicans' midterm defeat.

In an explanation segment on Japan's TBS NEWS DIG Powered by JNN, Hoshi argues that mounting constraints at home could push the president toward diplomacy, where he has greater freedom to act. His concern is not an announced agreement, but the concessions Trump might consider in pursuit of a legacy.

The broadcast contrasts Trump's reported willingness to cooperate with Democrats with his social-media image featuring a hat marked "VETO." Hoshi interprets that combination as a show of strength from a president more shaken by the result than he publicly acknowledges. He also notes that Democrats face their own problems, including a leadership question and tensions with the party's left wing.

At home, the discussion anticipates Democratic investigations that could further constrain the administration. Abroad, Hoshi identifies competing pressures. He says Vice President JD Vance has blamed the Iran war for the election losses and opposed expanding it, making further escalation harder for Trump, particularly if fuel prices rise.

Hoshi suggests that a deal with China involving purchases of American agricultural products could offer a more accessible achievement. North Korea presents a different danger: Trump might seek credit for ending the Korean War while accepting North Korean nuclear possession in return. These are scenarios raised in the discussion, not decisions the report says have been made.

The immediate diplomatic test, the programme says, is the APEC gathering scheduled for November 18 and 19 in Shenzhen, China. Hoshi warns that a possible meeting of the American, Chinese and Russian leaders would sideline Japan in discussions affecting East Asia.

He urges Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi to appeal directly to Trump against such a meeting. With high-level communication between Tokyo and Beijing limited, he argues, Japan would struggle to persuade the Chinese hosts to protect its interests.

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