WASHINGTON – Republicans in Congress expressed uncharacteristic skepticism on Tuesday about President Donald Trump’s claim that his summit with Kim Jong Un opened “a new history,” noting that the first-ever meeting between U.S. and North Korean leaders yielded few tangible commitments toward denuclearization, and a significant American concession.
“Should be skeptical of any deal with #KJU,” Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida tweeted, sounding a common note about Kim Jong Un.
“Limits to future strategic weapons instead of eliminating current program not an acceptable outcome. Hope I’m wrong but still believe they will never give up nukes & ICBM’s unless (they) believe failure to do so triggers regime ending reaction.”
Tennessee politicians react
“Last night, President Trump exemplified what it means to be a leader, becoming the first sitting president of the United States to meet with a North Korean head of state. I applaud the President for taking this courageous step and I am hopeful that despite North Korea’s history of deception, this summit marks the beginning of a new era of relations between North Korea and the United States. As Secretary of State Mike Pompeo leads U.S. negotiators in follow-up discussions with their North Korea counterparts, incorporating the knowledge of experts from the Department of Energy and the National Nuclear Security Administration will be of paramount importance. Much of this expertise resides in Oak Ridge, Tennessee and I look forward to continuing to support NNSA’s nonproliferation mission. While there is still a great amount of work that lies ahead, this summit was a tremendous first step and marked yet another milestone for the Trump Administration.” – Congressman Chuck Fleischmann “While I am glad the president and Kim Jong Un were able to meet, it is difficult to determine what of concrete nature has occurred. I look forward to having Secretary Pompeo before our committee soon to share his insights and look forward to carrying out our oversight responsibilities.” – U.S. Senator Bob Corker
While Trump sought to portray the meeting in Singapore as a personal victory, skeptics passing judgment in social media and on cable television said North Korea’s Kim was the bigger winner simply by getting a U.S. president to share the world stage with him, something prior North Korea leaders – his father and grandfather – had not been able to extract because of their repressive records and broken promises.