Mike Pompeo praises 'bright' Kim Jong Un for 'leadership in a difficult environment'

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo mostly played coy during an interview with David Rubenstein, the president of the Economic Club of Washington, D.C., in the nation's capital on Monday.

Pompeo refused to answer hypothetical and time-based questions and gave broad answers to questions about Iran, China, Mexico, and Israel (though he was direct in saying that a 2020 Kansas Senate run is off the table.)

Things weren't much different when it came to North Korea. Pompeo provided a diplomatic answer about negotiations with the country, calling it a "very difficult challenge" that he hopes can be unlocked with "creative solutions." When asked about North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un, however, Pompeo didn't shy away from praise.

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Pompeo joked that he has now surpassed former NBA star Dennis Rodman as the American who has spent the most time with Kim.

"Look, he's bright," Pompeo said. "He has managed to rise to the level of leadership in a difficult environment where he was a very young man when his time came. From my very first interaction with him, he's been very candid with me about the things that are important to him, the priority set, and how the negotiations might proceed."

Despite that candidness, the secretary of state also said that there is currently "nothing in the works" for a third summit between Kim and President Trump after the two leaders failed to strike a denuclearization deal in Hanoi in February. Read the rest of the interview transcript here.