At a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on Tuesday morning, CIA Director Mike Pompeo fielded a disturbing question from ranking member Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA): “Has the intelligence community assessed how the North Korean regime would react to a preventive United States attack?”

“We have,” Pompeo replied. “I would prefer to share that with you in closed session this afternoon.”

In open session though, Pompeo elaborated slightly: “We have written about various forms of actions,” he said. The intelligence community had also measured “the certainty and uncertainty we have around that analysis, as well as what we think happens in the event that the United States decides not to do that and continues to allow Kim Jong-un to develop his nuclear weapons arsenal,” Pompeo told the committee.

Feinstein pressed him further: “Have you explored what it would take to bring them to the table?” she asked.

“We have,” Pompeo said. “I’d prefer to share that with you in closed session.”