James Clapper, the director of national intelligence under former President Barack Obama, offered rare praise for President Trump on Sunday over his handling of a potential summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
“I support the letter that President Trump sent to Kim Jong Un. I think it was a good thing to do,” Clapper told CNN’s “State of the Union.”
Trump canceled the North Korea summit in a letter to Kim on Thursday, citing the country’s “tremendous anger and open hostility.” Talks between North and South Korea and the U.S. have been ongoing since then to try and salvage the summit planned for June 12 in Singapore.
Clapper said North Korea’s behavior is unsurprising, but Kim may have met his match with Trump’s unpredictability.
“In some ways Kim Jong Un may have met his match here with our very unconventional president,” he said.
Regardless of whether North Korea agrees to denuclearize, Clapper said Trump should still move forward with the summit.
“I think there is value having gone this far,” he said.
[Related: Trump welcomes North Korea’s ‘productive’ statement after summit canceled]
