Transcript for Trump comments on North Korea at workforce event

Aft president tramp with of his top advisors a trump National Golf Club that bad minster in New Jersey continuing. It seemed to escalate the rising tensions between the US and North Korea. Been going on back and forth in the last few days now let’s bring you up to speed on that. And talk about what we just heard there if you my colleagues down in Washington DC Mary Bruce and Rick Klein. And over indictments and New Jersey. Catherine fathers is traveling with the president as well Marion Bruce oh I’m sorry if it Mary why didn’t you take this first and didn’t remarkable statement we’ve heard from the president there. In his last line in response to a series of questions about the tensions with North Korea. Basically doubling down on the idea that hit a rat line is at a threat from Kim Jong bird. And and I’m just Claire earth and now that the answering a lot of questions while it. Up in bed minister and keeps addressing it seems to keep ratcheting up his language on North Korea it’s still really unclear what exactly mean that he was asked that I was the first question out of the gate there and the president said he thinks his words are very very easy to understand but they are still a lot of questions. We’ve gone from fire and fury to locked and loaded. In less than a week what are the implications of that now so far we do know that there’s been no. You know change in in military readiness or any in an action despite the president’s language. And his tweets but. Questions remain about what action what exactly work wire. A US military response and I think you know it’s not just get out reporters and those with in the United States or asking question everyone. All of our allies are interested in what pat pat pat answer will be. Clearly certainly the people of Guam and North Korea are wondering what exactly the the president means here and what kind of from North Korea would require or would be responded to with with military action from the US US is it you know actual attack and further ramping up. Nuclear preparedness. What really is the Red Line the president trying to answer that but not necessarily giving. Two for concrete answer at Rick Klein you know some of the top advisors on this front secretary of state. I Rick Heller expect Tillerson and also secretary of defense. General Mattis has spent a good amount of time walking back some of the comments that president trump has made it seemed like he keeps advancing it. This is the place where words matter and he continues to say that with the rats are what will cause action on behalf on behalf of the US. When he put down that red line earlier this week of course he set it on fire and made it quite furious and that I think that a lot of a lot of wag the blaze and it is force. Some moderation from his cabinet secretaries and frankly some mixed messages I think he’s attempt today to try to. Clarify that that’s the agency directly to Kim Jong-un you understand what the threat means what locked and loaded. Means but but Mary’s right the fact that he is still saying that that even that just over threats. Are going to be enough to trigger a response in a sense box and it put them back to where he was earlier in the week now where he seemed to be yesterday and those mixed messaging I that was that’s I think. Is difficult for this administration to navigate you point out that I was struck by is what he said about tens of millions of people Americans glad the president standing up the United States that to me. Was a little window into the psyche of Donald well because I think a key part in how he’s communicating Ali’s — North Korea. Is communicate with that base the people that voted for him no that he promised. Not just to contain a nuclear North Korea but to confront and not live with north nuclear North Korea as its predecessors had. Katherine filed as I wanted to bring Ewing near exit bring us up to speed on another story you’ve been following its little bit of news we got today. In response from the White House is something the president said yesterday that got a lot of eyebrows raised. He was asked about the American diplomats that were expelled from the Russian embassy and we have a response from the White House today how are they explaining the president’s comments when he said. Basically thanked Putin for cutting down as head count. That’s exactly what he said he was in that story us it was. In this questions he’s taken from reporters since this press conference he talked for a long time over twenty minutes there and that was a one headline that. Really really thought outs me there he. He’s the president Sudanese that I want to I want to thank him for. Cutting cutting these diplomats getting rid of dogs because it saves money and I’m sure you saw the video not serve we have an available but he. The White House is now saying that. Actually was being sarcastic in this comments and we’ve seen a sarcastic president from before. The White House has said. Multiple times that he’s been sarcastic on many other comments that he made but this particular that we haven’t heard. The president walk it back idiocy tweeted about it. But that’s mother sing that those comments. We’re sarcastic and that they were a joke frankly and and just to me if you watch that video it doesn’t really seem like he was open. Every some left to get you want in on this other conversation about another bite at the president seems to be having right now in public this fun with his own party. Of course he’s been in a bit of a Twitter war really one sided with open senate majority leader. Mitch McConnell. What is going on now with that have we had any other members of congress weigh in and how is this gonna play out. On the look over the last when he Broward the president has been more critical of the Republican leader of the senate that he has been a Wladimir. And that is not necessarily going over too well went with a lot of even top Republicans. New between the president and Mitch McConnell all started when when Mitch McConnell earlier in the week. I suggested that the president was in a new to politics and perhaps didn’t really understand. How to push through some of these big legislative items referring to their failed effort to repeal and replace obamacare that did not sit well the president he’s spent. The last three days blasting Mitch McConnell on on Twitter saying it’s time to get back to work in that yesterday we saw him come out. Speaking very forcefully. Reiterating that after seven years come on guys mean that’s essentially message to Republicans that they have to get. This done get their overhaul of obamacare it was written into loss that he can sign it and he had you know quite a stern warning for Mitch McConnell when he was asked. If he thinks McConnell should step down the the president’s and you basically left the door wide open. A top Republicans. On the hill have been coming to Mitch McConnell defense and it just goes to show which accounted for human not to when you wanna be picking a fight with here. He is the key to the president’s legislative agenda. And when you think about the fact that that the initial criticism was that the president. Perhaps it is new to politics doesn’t necessarily understand how this process works at a game is plea here in Washington. While bite taking such. Aim it at Mitch McConnell perhaps the president is proving Mitch McConnell points. You know raked one ASCII this and Catherine Katrina jumping here one of the reasons I should mention we keep going live. With all of these events every time the president in the front of cameras is because we never know what he’s going to say and sometimes he says things of great consequence. And of imminent consequence and so we should mention it’s gonna be speaking again and in just an hour a little over an hour away we’ll have that live here as well. Rick what do we know about that meeting and what they could be talking about there. All of that meeting is gonna included his secretary of state as well as its UN ambassador and talking about the options here there is a diplomatic front to the North Korean crisis talking Nicki Elliott about that of course the UN action over last weekend there still is. Active negotiations at the United Nations and through the diplomatic channels you’re hurting you heard the president asked a few moments ago about those diplomatic means he didn’t comment substantially as your point out not. It seems like the president is become his own communications director he is out there answering questions parent with reporters like few times in the presidency. And in it may be that he’s bored. It may be that he is is just decided to take strategy into his own hands and in what counts of strategy but. You store has been making a lot of news for being on a semi working vacation. I this golf as golf club in New Jersey. Capital what’s your take on this to be expect to hear from anyone else that the White House or traveling with the president in response to what we just heard from him. You know what chairman and at 5 o’clock and has her matches a meeting with the secretary of state just back from an overseas trip at him from Asia Latin will be briefing him on Matt but. Obviously North Korea will come up in those meetings he’ll be with me master and Nikki Hayley as well I’m so we do expect to hear. From him again and I written and he is acting like as a communications director in the sense there’s. No current communications director now a new member when all the staff shakeups are happening he said. Maybe don’t just hold the press briefings. What’s isn’t this thing because it seems like that’s what he’s doing here we haven’t had any briefing here we have one today on workforce development. But we do expect to hear from him again and if it’s anything like what happened yesterday it could be a good morning answers. All right Thelma favorites Rick Klein happened dollars let’s do this again that our our big that he it and think you guys Fiat five. Thanks all of you for watching as well stay with us here we’ll have that press conference right here. At 5 o’clock live for you and in the meantime if you need any back up on any story head over abcnews.com. For more on that and many more for now I’m on an Abbas and see you back here in.

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