Last Updated May 9, 2018 1:12 PM EDT
President Trump told reporters Wednesday ahead of a Cabinet meeting that he will announce the site for a meeting with North Korea “within three days.” The location will not, he said, be in the denuclearized zone dividing North and South Korea known as the DMZ.
On Wednesday morning, Mr. Trump announced new Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will be bringing home the U.S. citizens detained in North Korea, with a time and date set for a meeting with North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un.
“I appreciate Kim Jong Un for doing this,” Mr. Trump said Wednesday.
Mr. Trump has yet to disclose the date of the anticipated summit. He welcomed reporters to watch, as the former detainees touch down in Washington at 2 a.m. Thursday.
“It will be, I think a very special time,” the president said, later adding that he is “honored” they are coming home.
Asked if the intended meeting with North Korea could still be scuttled, Mr. Trump — who has said he would leave the meeting if it’s unsuccessful — said “everything can be scuttled. Asked if he should receive the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts towards denuclearization in North Korea, Mr. Trump made light of the question.
“Everyone thinks so, but I would never say it,” Mr. Trump said. “… The prize I want is victory for the world.”
The meeting marks the president’s first public appearance since announcing the United States’ withdrawal from the Obama-era Iran Nuclear Deal — a decision which has been heavily criticized by the international community, and praised by the president’s allies. Mr. Trump said Iran will “find out” what will happen if they pursue their nuclear program.
“I would advise Iran not to start their nuclear program,” Mr. Trump told reporters.
While the Cabinet meets, the president’s nominee to head the CIA, Gina Haspel, is testifying at her confirmation hearing before the Senate Intelligence Committee. Haspel is fielding tough questioning from lawmakers about involvement in the CIA’s use of “enhanced interrogation techniques” in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks.
© 2018 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.
