Tapper Busts Pompeo for Claiming Trump Didn’t Say What He Said about North Korea: ‘That’s Just a Direct Quote’
On Sunday’s edition of CNN’s State of the Union, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and host Jake Tapper spoke in detail about North Korea and the upcoming summit between Kim Jong Un and President Donald Trump. Tapper asked about something Trump said, and Pompeo simply denied he said it.
Pompeo made the denial despite the fact that Tapper read what Trump said, directly from the president’s own Tweet.
During the discussion about denuclearization, Tapper asked Pompeo point blank, “Do you think North Korea remains a nuclear threat?”
Pompeo replied “Yes.”
“But the president said he doesn’t,” said Tapper.
“That’s not what he said,” Pompeo replied. “I know precisely —”
“He tweeted ‘there is no longer a nuclear threat from North Korea’,” said Tapper, reading the quote from the President’s tweet.
“What he said was the efforts made in Singapore, this commitment that Chairman Kim made, have substantially taken down the risk to the American people. It’s the mission of the secretary of state and the president of the United States to keep American people secure,”Pompeo said. “We’re aiming to achieve that.”
“I mean, that’s just a direct quote,” Tapper clarified. “But I want to move on.”
In the denuclearization conversation (longer clip below), Pompeo added that there will be no relief from sanctions without denuclearization.
“We’ve made it very plain to Chairman Kim, the alternative to giving up his nuclear weapons is remaining a pariah state, Remaining a nation that is unable to trade, unable to grow, unable to take care of its own people,” said Pompeo. “We’ve made the argument that it would be far better, far better for Chairman Kim himself, his senior leadership, all of the for North Korea.”
Trump’s tweeted claims about the last summit were met with skepticism even on Fox News Channel.
The President sent several tweets about the upcoming second summit in Vietnam via Twitter on Sunday.
President Xi of China has been very helpful in his support of my meeting with Kim Jong Un. The last thing China wants are large scale nuclear weapons right next door. Sanctions placed on the border by China and Russia have been very helpful. Great relationship with Chairman Kim!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 24, 2019
Chairman Kim realizes, perhaps better than anyone else, that without nuclear weapons, his country could fast become one of the great economic powers anywhere in the World. Because of its location and people (and him), it has more potential for rapid growth than any other nation!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 24, 2019
Pompeo talking North Korea with Jake Tapper:
[Featured image via screengrab]
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