多家媒体报道，美国中央情报局局长蓬佩奥曾访问朝鲜，并与朝鲜领导人金正恩秘密会谈。
几家新闻媒体援引未透露身份的美国官员的话说，蓬佩奥今年复活节的周末访问朝鲜以及与金正恩会谈是为川普总统与金正恩的直接会面做准备。
川普总统早些时候证实，美国与朝鲜举行了高层会谈。
日本首相安倍夫妇与川普总统夫妇在川普总统拥有的佛罗里达海湖庄园内散步时，一名记者问川普总统他是否与金正恩有过对话。川普总统朝向一组记者，笑着回答说：“是的。”
几分钟之后，在为日本首相夫妇举办的宴会上，川普总统又被问到同样的问题。川普总统回答说：“还不能完全那样说。但是我们双方最高层有过对话，进展很好。我们看接下来会怎样。”
白宫新闻秘书桑德斯随即也否认金正恩与川普总统或高级美国官员有任何直接接触。
桑德斯在发给一些记者的电邮中说：“有关与（朝鲜）领导人金正恩会谈的问题：总统说是美国政府最高层进行的会谈，并说不是直接与他本人。”
CIA director Mike Pompeo traveled to Pyongyang for a secret meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, according to multiple media reports.
The meeting to prepare for direct talks between U.S. President Donald Trump and Kim took place over Easter weekend, according to unnamed officials reported by several news outlets.
Earlier Trump acknowledged the U.S. had held direct talks at high levels.
During a walk with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and their spouses on the grounds of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort, the president was asked by a reporter if he had talked with Kim. Trump turned towards the group of journalists, smiled and replied, “yes.”
A few minutes later, at the start of dinner with the Japanese couple, the president was again asked the same question. “Let’s leave it a little bit short of that. But we’ve had talks at the highest level,” Trump replied. “And it’s going very well. We’ll see what happens.”
Within minutes, White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders also knocked down any confirmation of direct communication between Kim and the president or his top officials.
“In regards to talks with Leader Kim Jong-un: The President said the administration has had talks at the highest levels and added that they were not with him directly,” Huckabee Sanders said in a comment e-mailed to reporters.