Democratic Rep. John Garamendi (Calif.) on Thursday expressed disagreement with his party’s House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (Calif.) for her criticism that President Donald Trump was cozying up to North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un.
Last week, Pelosi said Trump’s letter canceling the meeting with Kim read like a "Valentine" and amounted to a "big win" for North Korea. Fox News host Harris Faulkner asked whether Pelosi’s comments expose division in the Democratic Party, since Garamendi and others have expressed support for Trump’s ongoing efforts to force North Korea to negotiate.
"She came out with pretty incendiary remarks," Faulkner said. "She called the letter that the president reached out to Kim Jong Un with, a Valentine; a 'giggle fit' was what it would bring about. That doesn't sound like unity on the hill from the Democrats."
Garamendi at first tried to avoid addressing Pelosi’s remark directly, insisting Democrats were unified in seeking negotiations with North Korea.
"The Democrats, certainly Pelosi and all of the Democratic leaders in Congress and in the Senate want negotiations to take place. Both Democrats and Republicans were responding —"
"Nobody responded like she did, with all due respect," Faulkner interjected.
"I'll buy that, sure," Garamendi replied.
"Do you support what she said?" Faulkner asked.
"No, I don't," Garamendi said. "Everybody can take a look at Trump's letter to Kim Jong Un, and they can interpret it in different ways. It was certainly different from the normal diplomatic language between two leaders."
Garamendi said he is "delighted" that the administration is continuing to pursue a meeting with Kim.
"I'm certain, absolutely certain that the Democratic leadership in both the House and the Senate are very, very supportive of this move of the negotiations moving forward."
Arguing that the summit should be prepared for carefully, Garamendi said he was confident in Secretary of State Mike Pompeo handling it properly.
"We must be very, very careful about this summit," Garamendi said. "It has to be well prepared, and I'm delighted that Pompeo is doing much of the leg work. He is an excellent person, as [Republican Congressman] Peter King said."