Democratic presidential candidate Julián Castro added that he is “all for speaking with our adversaries,” but said President Donald Trump’s visits with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un have been unsuccessful. 2020 Elections Julián Castro: Trump-Kim DMZ meeting ‘all for show’

Democratic presidential candidate Julián Castro on Sunday described President Donald Trump’s meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un as “all for show” and “not substantive.”

“It’s worrisome that this president erratically sets up a meeting without the staff work being done, it seems like it’s all for show, it’s not substantive, as Jonathan said in his report,” the former HUD secretary told George Stephanopoulos, host of ABC’s “This Week.” Castro was referring to ABC journalist Jonathan Karl.


“We’re left to believe: What progress are we actually making?” Castro continued. “At the same time, the cost to the United States and to our allies is that he’s raising a profile, growing the strength of a dictator.”

Trump met with Kim briefly on Sunday, walking across the border into North Korea for their third face-to-face meeting. It was the first time an American president has ever visited North Korea while in office.

Castro added that he is “all for speaking with our adversaries,” but said Trump’s visits have been unsuccessful because he is not going through conventional means, such as having a staff set up formal meetings or summits.

“We haven’t gotten anything out of it,” Castro said. “After they had the first summit, the Singapore summit, he told the American people that North Korea was no longer a threat. Then after that, they continued to test their nuclear weapons. And they have not even abided by one of the commitments they made originally, which was to given an inventory of their nuclear stockpile.

“I don’t think it’s fitting for the United States to continue to erratically meet with a dictator when they haven’t abided by the first terms,” he said.

Castro echoed his remarks in an interview on CNN’s “State of the Union.” “It’s been a failure so far,” he said of Trump’s diplomacy.

