CNN "CNN Newsroom" - Transcript: Interview with Representative Brendan Boyle
Interview
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[10:15:28] HARLOW: All right, welcome back. I'm Poppy Harlow in New York.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in Singapore this morning saying the U.S. goal remains the same, complete denuclearization of the Korean peninsula. He says until that happens, there will be no relief from economic sanctions on North Korea, but to move the talks forward with North Korea, Pompeo did say that the president may give security assurances that no other administration has put forward before for North Korea. Could one of those be an offer to remove U.S. troops from the South? He would not say.
Joining us now, Congressman Brendan Boyle, a Democrat from Pennsylvania, he also sits on the Foreign Affairs Committee.
It's nice to have you. Thank you for being here. Let me just get your read on Pompeo this morning. Are you feeling more assured this morning of what we may see between President Trump in this one-on-one meeting with Kim Jong-un in a few hours? Because you've been critical of the president heading into this.
REP. BRENDAN BOYLE (D), PENNSYLVANIA: I would say, and thank you for having me, I'm neither more nor less assured by Pompeo's remarks just because we know that this administration to a degree unlike any other really it is what the president says and what the president does that matters and not members of his administration.
This past weekend was a great example of that when Defense Secretary Mattis was in Europe saying one thing about the Western alliance and then President Trump was at the G7 summit saying literally the exact opposite. So in the end, when it comes to the summit, it's what Trump says and does that matters and really not any member of his administration.
HARLOW: Let me ask you about legislation you put forward. You're very concerned about the human rights issues within North Korea to say the least. We saw that American college student Otto Warmbier die at the hands of Kim Jong-un's regime. You put forward legislation, you say, to address that.
A, do you believe that any nuclear agreement with North Korea must include addressing human rights? And, if so, B, what would your legislation do?
And let me just note for our viewers, sorry to interrupt, we're looking at Kim Jong-un's entourage live in Singapore. These are aerial shots. We know that he just left the Marina Bay Sands Hotel there in Singapore. It is 10:17 p.m. in the evening. The night before this potentially historic summit with President Trump. He went for about 20 minutes or so it looked like to visit this three-story sort of remarkable hotel there, and we're just unsure right now where he's headed. We'll bring you more when we have it.
But back with you, Congressman, tell me about the legislation.
BOYLE: Yes, you know, one of the most inspiring and sobering moments I've had as a member of Congress was when three members or three individuals who were from North Korea who were defectors met with me and a few other members of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. I've actually met with them twice now. And the horrific conditions that they had to endure are unlike anything else that we see around the globe.
So I believe that it is our moral responsibility to speak out on human rights, not just in North Korea, but around the world. I was someone who thought that that should be part of the conversation when it came to negotiating with Iran. And so I'm just being consistent saying that certainly if human rights were of great concern especially to my Republican colleagues with respect to Iran, it certainly should be the case when it comes to North Korea which does have the worst human rights record on earth.
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