Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., argued Wednesday that CIA Director Mike Pompeo’s meeting with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un is “a good thing” and unlikely to jeopardize his confirmation as the next secretary of state.
Corker told reporters Wednesday morning that the meeting in Pyongyang was “perfectly natural” ahead of the expected meeting in June between the North Korean leader and President Trump.
“I like the fact that Pompeo met with him,” Corker said at a breakfast hosted by the Christian Science Monitor. “I hope that a lot of other people will meet with him and I hope there’s huge amounts of precursor activity to take place before the two of them meet.
“I look at that as the first step. I think that’s intelligent,” Corker said. “I hope that a lot of other people will be doing the same thing. I thought it was a good thing.”
Corker, who chairs the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said he was not given a heads-up about Pompeo’s trip to the North Korean capital over the Easter recess. He added he doubts Pompeo’s decision not to reveal the meeting during his confirmation hearing will hurt his chances.
“I’m sure somebody will be offended by the fact that they didn’t know that during the hearing. Honestly, it doesn’t bother me at all. When you’re sending your CIA chief in to meet with another leader when you know that intelligence has been the route through which we’ve dealt with the North Koreans — it just doesn’t bother me.”
“I’m glad that he was there,” he added.
The president confirmed the trip in a tweet Wednesday morning, saying that details of the summit between Trump and Kim are “being worked out now.”
“Mike Pompeo met with Kim Jong Un in North Korea last week,” Trump tweeted. “Meeting went very smoothly and a good relationship was formed. Details of Summit are being worked out now. Denuclearization will be a great thing for World, but also for North Korea!”
