Trump touts progress with North Korea; some skeptical

WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump defended his denuclearization efforts with North Korea on Tuesday, despite the concerns of

U.S. intelligence officials who say there is no evidence Kim Jong Un plans to give up his nuclear weapons programs.

“Many good conversations with North Korea – it is going well!”

Trump tweeted Tuesday, noting that Kim’s government has not conducted rocket launches or nuclear tests in eight months.

“All of Asia is thrilled,” Trump said. “Only the Opposition Party, which includes the Fake News, is complaining. If not for me, we would now be at War with North Korea!”

U.S. intelligence officials, however, are telling reporters that North Korea continues to develop nuclear missile programs, research facilities, launch capabilities and fuel production, despite Kim’s pledge to denuclearize during his June summit with Trump in Singapore.

“All of these actions call into question North Korea’s sincerity to denuclearize,” said Olivia Enos, a policy analyst with the Asian Studies Center at The Heritage Foundation in Washington, D.C., who was in Singapore for the Trump-Kim summit.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is scheduled to travel Thursday to North Korea to speak with Kim about denuclearization.

White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said the administration would not “confirm or deny any intelligence reports” on North Korea’s nuclear programs, but “what I can tell you is that we’re continuing to make progress.”

Kim Jong Un