WATCH: Dem rep doubts Trump’s ‘wherewithal’ to reach ‘peaceful’ deal with North Korea 

A Democratic lawmaker on the House Armed Services Committee said he doubts President Trump’s ability to reach a “peaceful conclusion” with North Korea. 

“You have a dictator over there that … has a grip on his society and he doesn’t want to let it go, and I don’t entirely believe that the president here in the United States has the wherewithal also to come to a good peaceful conclusion on this,” Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) told The Hill in an interview. 

Gallego added that a meeting between Trump’s nominee to be secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un before Pompeo’s Senate confirmation vote “weakens his position.” 

Republicans were more “cautiously optimistic” about Pompeo’s secret meeting with the North Korean dictator. 

“You’ve got to be cautiously optimistic, right,” Rep. Dave Brat (R-Va.) told The Hill. “But they are talking about the word ‘denuclearization’ of North Korea — that’s a big deal.” 

Armed Services Rep. Rob Wittman (R-Va.) said if the meeting leads to the denuclearization of North Korea, “that’s good.”

Click on the video above to hear the lawmakers in their own words.