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Schiff: Fair to Say Trump Deserves Credit for North Korea Coming to the Table

April 29, 2018

Congressman Adam Schiff (D., Calif.) said during an interview Sunday on ABC's "This Week" that it was fair to give President Donald Trump credit for North Korea coming to the negotiating table.

ABC anchor Jonathan Karl asked Schiff if the president deserves at least some credit for the progress that is being made on North Korea.

"Doesn't the president deserve credit for at least partial credit for what we're seeing unfold on the Korean peninsula?" Karl asked.

"I think it's more than fair to say that the combination of the president's unpredictability and indeed his bellicosity had something to do with North Korea's willingness to come to the table," Schiff replied. "But before the president takes too much credit or hangs out the 'mission accomplished' banner, he needs to realize we may go into a confrontational phase, and he may not want the full blame if things go south."

Schiff added that it is important for Trump to be in lockstep with our allies.

"But most important for this president, when things do become confrontational, as is likely to happen, it's going to be very important that we're latched up with our allies, South Korea and Japan or otherwise North Korea will pick us apart. And this president isn't particularly good about latching up with our allies," Schiff said.

Trump at his Michigan rally on Saturday night, appeared to take credit for everything that has unfolded under North Korea.

"They were saying, 'What do you think — uh — President Trump had to do with it?' I'll tell you what, like how about everything," Trump said.

Last week, news broke that South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un met to further discuss denuclearization of the peninsula and strengthening ties between the two countries. Trump has noted that negotiations with North Korea are going "very well."