Trump mars the success of his Asia trip on his third stop

He did so well in Japan and South Korea, and then came this:

During his two day visit to China, where the Communist Party holds a monopoly of power in an iron grip, Trump lauded President Xi Jinping as "a very special man," telling him "my feeling toward you is an incredibly warm one." Ignoring China's military campaign in the South and East China Seas, our president claimed that "the military parade this morning was magnificent, and the world was watching ... Nothing you can see is so beautiful."

On Thursday, Trump and Xi failed to take media questions after delivering press statements. Former President Barack Obama made that same mistake in his first visit to China. Other American presidents have used their China visits as a rare chance to put the Communist Party leader before an adversarial press — something that doesn't occur often in that repressive country.

This followed Trump's bizarre Twitter post congratulating Xi on "his great political victory," which was, in truth, an authoritarian power grab.

Realism requires Trump to form effective working relationships with foreign leaders of all ideologies. This is a fact of realpolitik that should be recognized. But there is a difference between Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and the Chinese president. China has very little political freedom and still enforces curbs on religious exercise and large families.

Imagine those Chinese dissidents watching Trump's behavior in China. Many of them probably felt America had abandoned them, and they no one could blame them if they did.

Alliances are crucial, and we need China's help on North Korea. Sometimes, foreign policy requires doing business with unpleasant or evil regimes. But the Shining City on a Hill cannot trumpet support for a tyranny's evil deeds.

This is the behavior of someone in love with the sound of his own voice, someone unacquainted with the great speeches of history's great statesmen, yet thrilled to be sharing their platform and coming up with what, off the top of his head, seems to put him in their company.

Since Trump is used to having his ring kissed, he assumes that an obsequious tone is going to impress Xi and pave the way for "wins" and "tremendous deals."

Here's a tidbit for your consideration, President Squirrel-Hair: China intends to supplant the US as the world's lone superpower. That's the point of all this pageantry you found so "beautiful."

That's perhaps the biggest takeaway from the first year of the Trump era: the guy's mouth and keypad undermine his laudable accomplishments at every turn.