Ex-US special envoy: Trump dismissing North Korea as nuclear threat is ‘unwise’

George Mitchell, a former U.S. special envoy to the Middle East, on Wednesday said it’s “unwise and premature” for President Trump to say North Korea is no longer a nuclear threat.

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“I think his statement can be called premature,” Mitchell, who served as special envoy from 2009-2011, said on CNN. “There’s a long way to go. We must all hope and pray that he is right, that it does turn out to no longer be a nuclear threat. But I think it is unwise and premature to make this declaration at this stage in the process.” 

Former US Special Envoy to the Middle East George Mitchell says “it’s unwise and premature” for President Trump to declare North Korea is “no longer a nuclear threat” https://t.co/mNNzknZikp https://t.co/uCkWQFpYc5

— CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) June 13, 2018

Mitchell’s comments came shortly after President Trump, a day after his historic meeting with Kim Jong Un, tweeted, “There is no longer a Nuclear Threat from North Korea.” 

“Meeting with Kim Jong Un was an interesting and very positive experience. North Korea has great potential for the future!” the president added.

Trump also said in a tweet that before he took office, it was assumed that the U.S. would go to war with Pyongyang, but following the summit, he said that fear has dissipated and that Americans can “sleep well tonight.” 

Mitchell, who served as Senate Majority Leader from 1989-1995 and special envoy to Northern Ireland from 1995-2001, balked at that idea, adding that Trump is celebrating “way too early.” 

Trump announced on Tuesday that the U.S. had a signed an agreement with North Korea that granted the country “security guarantees” in exchange for the eventual denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.

He also said that the U.S. would cease joint military exercises with South Korea while negotiations take place.

Many GOP and Democratic lawmakers have slammed the agreement for its lack of details in regards to North Korea’s denuclearization. Many critics point to the fact that North Korea has repeatedly failed to carry out past promises of denuclearization.