Current CIA Director and nominee for U.S. Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, said on Thursday that he has never advocated for North Korean regime change, under questioning during a Senate confirmation hearing in Washington D.C.

The assertion appears to be made in contrast with prior statements by Pompeo during his tenure as Director of the CIA.

“I have never advocated for regime change … I am not advocating for regime change,” Pompeo said after repeated questioning on the subject by Senator Ben Cardin on Thursday.

During an appearance at the Aspen Security Conference in July 2017 however, Pompeo told an