How Mike Pompeo Stole the North Korea Show

Michael Fuchs, Abby Bard

Security, Americas

While the Pompeo-Kim meeting is a good sign for diplomacy, it also raises serious questions about the former CIA director's suitability for Secretary of State.

President Trump confirmed on Wednesday that director of CIA Mike Pompeo had traveled to North Korea and met with Kim Jong-un over Easter weekend. This marked the highest level of exchange between the United States and the Hermit Kingdom since Secretary of State Madeline Albright met with Kim Jong-il in 2000. While this meeting is a good sign for diplomacy, it also raises serious questions about Pompeo’s suitability for Secretary of State.

It’s reassuring that the Trump administration is undertaking serious preparations for the upcoming summit meeting between Trump and Kim Jong-un. Announcing a summit is relatively easy—making sure it goes well is much harder. The groundwork for this summit—including most importantly the substantive negotiations with North Korea on key areas of concern—is a monumental task. So far, the Trump team has been coy about what has been going on behind the scenes, leaving analysts to worry about what the State Department is doing with its reduced staff on a short timeframe. While Pompeo’s visit doesn’t completely allay fears, it is a sign that the Trump administration is taking this diplomatic process seriously.