Until Saturday, President Donald Trump had earned some praise for his trip to Asia. Overall, the visit seemed to go well by the standards we use to evaluate him. There were few unsettling tweets over the past few days, at least relative to his normal routine, and by most accounts the meetings with the key leaders have gone smoothly. Trump has played ball in the diplomatic celebrations and seemed to be in good spirits. He's offered some provocative words about North Korea, but nothing that comes close to the kinds of incendiary words he used before the United Nations in New York.

Yet to call the trip a success would be a big mistake.