Pence says US will honor refugee deal with Australia — the same one Trump called ‘dumb’

This same agreement, which would transfer up to 1,250 refugees held in offshore detention centers, was called a “dumb deal” by President Trump earlier this year.

During a joint press conference in Sydney with Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, Pence said, “Let me make it clear the United States intends to honor the agreement, subject to the results of the vetting processes that now apply to all refugees considered for admission to the United States of America.”

Pence said that Trump “has made it clear that we’ll honor the agreement,” despite a tweet from Trump in February in which he criticized the deal and suggested that he would study ways to undo it.

“It doesn’t mean we admire the agreement,” Pence added. “Frankly, looking back on the last administration, the president has never been shy about expressing frustration with other international agreements, most notably the so-called nuclear agreement with Iran. But rest assured, as I confirmed today with the Prime Minister, the United States of America will honor the agreement.”

Turnbull, with whom Trump reportedly had a heated phone conversation in February, thanked Pence for honoring the commitment made by former President Barack Obama.

“The commitment to honoring that deal is — that agreement is very important, and it’s one that speaks whatever the reservations of the president are — and we know what they are about the deal — nonetheless, it speaks volumes for the commitment, the integrity of President Trump and your administration, sir, to honor that commitment as you have committed to and, indeed, as you are doing,” Turnbull said. “So we thank you for that commitment. That’s — it’s a very important commitment, and we thank you for restating that today.”