As President Donald Trump fulfilled a campaign pledge to withdraw from the Iran deal, he took a moment to send a message to North Korea.
“Today’s action sends a critical message. The United States no longer makes empty threats. When I make promises, I keep them,” the president said Tuesday during his announcement on the fate of the Iran nuclear deal. “In fact, at this very moment, [Secretary of State Mike] Pompeo is on his way to North Korea in preparation for my upcoming meeting with Kim Jong Un.”
“Hopefully, a deal will happen, and with the help of China, South Korea, and Japan, a future of great prosperity and security can be achieved for everyone,” he further stated.
WATCH:
“When I make promises, I keep them. In fact, at this very moment, [Secretary of State Mike] Pompeo is on his way to North Korea in preparation for my upcoming meeting with Kim Jong Un,” President Trump announces https://t.co/LdFkRt50G9 pic.twitter.com/WeGeA5jRZG
— CBS News (@CBSNews) May 8, 2018
While many critics have commented that withdrawing from the Iran deal damages America’s credibility, the Trump administration’s intended message to North Korea appears to be that the Kim regime must do better than Iran, which curbed its nuclear ambitions but continued to destabilize the region, violating the spirit of the original deal.
White House National Security Adviser John Bolton elaborated on this point Tuesday afternoon, telling reporters that the president’s decision to withdraw from the Iran deal “sends a very clear signal the United States will not accept inadequate deals.”
Pompeo is making his second trip to North Korea in a month, as he made a secret trip to the hermit kingdom over Easter weekend. During his first trip, he met with Kim Jong Un to lay the groundwork for the upcoming summit.
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