'Great News': Sen. Gardner Reacts To Release Of Americans From North Korea
WASHINGTON, DC (CBS4)- Sen. Cory Gardner is celebrating the announcement of the release of three Americans detained in North Korea.
Gardner, a Republican and Colorado's junior senator, talked about the development on Wednesday morning.
"Today's development is great news for these Americans and their families. I couldn't be happier that they will soon be back on American soil. Under the previous administration, I was a vocal opponent of their strategic patience strategy and advocated for a maximum pressure doctrine to counter North Korea. This maximum pressure strategy began with my North Korea sanctions legislation. And the Trump Administration has carried out this strategy and brought North Korea to the negotiating table. We must continue our maximum pressure campaign on Kim Jong Un until we achieve our ultimate goal: complete verifiable, irreversible, denuclearization of the peninsula. I'll continue to work with President Trump and Secretary of State Pompeo ahead of the president's summit with North Korea and I'll do everything I can to guarantee a successful summit," said Gardner.
Pres. Trump says that he "appreciates" North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's decision to release the detainees ahead of the leaders' planned summit.
He says he's looking forward to the meeting and believes it's going to be a great thing for North Korea.
Trump broke the news on Twitter Wednesday that the detainees were on their way back to the U.S. with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.
Trump said he would be greeting them at Andrews Air Force Base and says, "I think it will be a very special time."
