His aides assumed that he would be asked about North Korea during an appearance tied to his opioid meeting, but Mr. Trump had not told them what he would say.
Despite recent exchanges between North Korea and President Trump, the secretary of state says Americans should not be concerned about threats from the country.
The looming publication of a climate report again raises a contentious policy issue that has deeply divided President Trump’s closest advisers since he arrived in the Oval Office.
Mike Pompeo has become a favorite of the president’s with tough talk and hawkish views at the helm of the C.I.A., which prides itself on being apolitical.
President Trump is not the first president to be caught in lies. But the degree to which he has trafficked in falsehoods is raising questions about whether standards for veracity have eroded.