NORTH KOREA TALKS FALTER: It was clear Friday, when President Trump abruptly canceled Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s planned trip to Pyongyang, that something had undercut the denuclearization talks with North Korea. Last night the Washington Post’s Josh Rogin reported the surprise move came after a top North Korean official allegedly sent a “secret letter” that convinced Pompeo and Trump the visit would be a waste of time.

“Pompeo received the letter from Kim Yong Chol, vice chairman of North Korea’s ruling Workers’ Party Central Committee, on Friday morning, and showed it to Trump in the White House, two senior administration officials confirmed,” Rogin wrote. “The exact contents of the message are unclear, but it was sufficiently belligerent that Trump and Pompeo decided to call off Pompeo’s journey, where he was set to introduce his newly announced special envoy, Stephen Biegun, to his North Korean counterparts.”

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