On Sunday, President Donald Trump travelled to North Korea to meet with North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un. The summit was intended to de-escalate tensions and craft a denuclearization plan.
"We’re prepared to start a new history, and we’re ready to write a new chapter between our nations,” President Trump said.
The President's visit drew a wide range of reactions. Critics mocked Trump for bringing his daughter, Ivanka, along as a senior advisor. There were also concerns that while the agreement the two leaders reached looked good in theory, Trump had conceded too much to Kim Jong-un, including the end of joint US-South Korean military exercises.
But perhaps the most controversial outcome of the meeting was a nuclear freeze agreement between the nations. As the New York Times reports, a freeze amounts to the administration accepting North Korea as a nuclear power, instead of forcing the nation to get rid of its existing nuclear weapons.
On Monday, Rep. John Garamendi (D-CA), who sits on the Armed Services Committee, appeared on CNN and outlined how that might destabilize the region.
"Not a good thing," Garamendi said. "Not a good thing, because that can really set off a nuclear arms race in that entire region," he said.
"If you think for a moment that South Korea would accept that situation, or China ... or Japan?" he added.
"Not a good thing. The goal of denuclearization should remain," Garamendi concluded.
Garamendi did acknowledge that meeting with Jong-un was the right move.
"It's always good to negotiate and open the door for negations. That's good," he said. But he added that the final result is what's most important.
"What comes of it? That is the tough part."
Garamendi also said that if he trusts and respects his daughter's opinion it was fine to bring her along. But it's also not clear that she gave him sound advice. Critics have noted that neither Ivanka, nor the president's advisor, Jared Kushner, have the expertise to be charged with complex diplomacy.
"He can choose his advisers," Garamendi said.
"Is the result of those discussions and that advice good? Perhaps her advice, perhaps others, we don't know, is not good."
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