RASH

Report: Trump Agreed to Kim Jong Un Meeting Without Consulting Advisers

The president is said to have brushed off his advisers and made the decision without consultations.

President Trump reportedly accepted last week's offer to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on the spot without consulting advisers about the move, The New York Times reports. Trump’s quick response to the offer, relayed by a South Korean envoy, is said to have shocked not only several South Korean officials present but also Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster, both of whom tried to caution the president against making rash decisions. He reportedly brushed them off, however, and has since hailed the potential meeting as capable of bringing “the greatest deal for the world.” White House deputy press secretary Raj Shah on Sunday told ABC News there are “no additional conditions being stipulated” for the meeting to take place but North Korea must uphold “promises” not to engage in nuclear or missile testing in order for things to move forward. Despite mounting doubts about Pyongyang’s motives for the proposed meeting, Shah said the White House was on board in light of Kim Jong Un’s “stated commitment” to denuclearization.