WASHINGTON — Rudy Giuliani, a member of President Donald Trump’s legal team, said three Americans being held captive in North Korea will be released Thursday.
“This is the President of the United States, he’s getting ready to negotiate probably one of our most historic agreements since the opening to China,” Giuliani said on Fox & Friends. “And we got Kim Jong Un impressed enough to be releasing three prisoners today.”
White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said she could not confirm that the detainees would be released during a White House press briefing Thursday afternoon.
This news comes after Trump tweeted Wednesday: “As everybody is aware, the past Administration has long been asking for three hostages to be released from a North Korean Labor camp, but to no avail. Stay tuned!”
The president is preparing for a potential summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, tentatively scheduled for May or early June.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Kim discussed the Americans last month when Pompeo visited North Korea. Trump has said the U.S. is working hard to win the Americans’ freedom.
Trump’s national security adviser, John Bolton, said the release of the Americans would be a “demonstration of their sincerity” in the lead-up to the summit.
As everybody is aware, the past Administration has long been asking for three hostages to be released from a North Korean Labor camp, but to no avail. Stay tuned!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 3, 2018
