CIA Director Mike Pompeo Michael (Mike) Richard PompeoOvernight Defense: Pentagon redirects pandemic funding to defense contractors | US planning for full Afghanistan withdrawal by May | Anti-Trump GOP group puts ads in military papers Overnight Defense: House Democrats unveil stopgap spending measure to GOP opposition | Bill includes .6B for new subs | Trump issues Iran sanctions after world shrugs at US action at UN Navalny calls on Russia to return clothes he was wearing when he fell ill MORE discussed the three U.S. citizens currently held in North Korea when he met with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, The Associated Press reported Thursday.

The AP cited an anonymous senior White House official in its report, which comes two days after The Washington Post first reported about the meeting between Pompeo and Kim.

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President Trump Donald John TrumpOmar fires back at Trump over rally remarks: 'This is my country' Pelosi: Trump hurrying to fill SCOTUS seat so he can repeal ObamaCare Trump mocks Biden appearance, mask use ahead of first debate MORE believes “there’s a good chance” the Americans will be freed, the official told the AP.

Revelations about the meeting between Kim and the CIA director come amid Pompeo’s confirmation process to become Trump’s new secretary of State. Trump tapped Pompeo to serve as the new head of Foggy Bottom last month during the ouster of former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson Rex Wayne TillersonGary Cohn: 'I haven't made up my mind' on vote for president in November Kushner says 'Alice in Wonderland' describes Trump presidency: Woodward book Conspicuous by their absence from the Republican Convention MORE.

Trump on Wednesday expressed optimism about a meeting he plans to hold with Kim, but added that he won’t go through with it if he doesn’t believe it will be “successful.”

“If I think that it’s a meeting that’s not going to be fruitful. I won’t go. If the meeting when I’m there is not fruitful, I will respectfully leave,” the president told The New York Times.