The president has a new highprofile challenger. And Bernie Sanders says this time will be different. Were going to win. As aides say President Trump is going to jut sit back and watch. They are becoming the party of socialism. The president s new strategy to cause chaos and divide the democrats. Hello. Im jake tapper in washington where the state of our union is eating our wheaties and preparing for a wild week ahead. This could prove to be one of the most consequential weeks in the trump presidency, which is saying something. President trump is preparing to leave for his second summit with north korean dictator kim jongun, an attempt to get north korea to denuclearize and get himself a nobel peace prize. Michael cohen will be testifying publicly before the House Oversight committee. And the Trump Administration is facing an urgent Foreign Policy crisis in venezuela. The maduro governments efforts to block delivery of humanitarian aid this weekend led to violence and reportedly at least five deaths. The countrys president Nicolas Maduro vows to remain in power despite International Calls for him to step down. Tomorrow Vice President pence meets with juan guaido who reiterate u. S. Support. Joining me is secretary of state mike pompeo. Secretary pompeo, thanks for being here. Great to be here. I want to start with the situation in venezuela because its dire right now. Yesterday you said the u. S. Will take action against those who oppose the peaceful restoration of democracy in venezuela. Exactly what action are you prepared to take . So yesterday was a tragic day. Multiple deaths. But mostly a tyrant who denied food fo hungry people and inside to those who were sick. Four or five deaths yesterday but there have been hundreds and hundreds starved to death by maduro. Americas policy has been clear. Weve supported the venezuelan people. Well continue to do that. A meeting on monday where further action will be contemplated. Theres more sanctions to be had. More humanitarian assistance that we can provide. Well find other ways to make sure that food gets to the people who need it. And we will. We will ultimately, i believe. And the venezuelan people will ultimately, i believe, hold accountable those who have done so much harm to the fundamental, basic rights of the people of venezuela. I want to give you this opportunity to respond to some of the criticism that u. S. Foreign policy have venezuela is facing. There are many in the international community, including your former ambassador, roberta jacobson, who are calling for calm, calling for tensions to be defused. Jacobson is publicly questioning whether the Trump Administration is actually trying to calm things, and you know there are some humanitarian groups who suggest the u. S. Is using humanitarian aid as a way to force regime change. As a political tool. What whats your response . The request of the li egitime president of venezuela. He said please bring peopmedicio the people who are sick here. We provided metric tons of hygiene kits weve delivered to brazil in curacao and colombia, trying to get it to the place its so desperately needed. It was our objective yesterday and will be today and tomorrow as well. What do you say to the skeptics who say in the past the United States, not the Trump Administration, but the United States has tried to smuggle arms into countries through the guise of humanitarian aid and the Trump Administrations eni have to venezuela was involved in a scheme like that during the time of nicaragua and the contras. And theyre skeptical. How do we know this is just humanitarian aid . Its just humanitarian aid. So i want to ask look at the pictures, the videos. Usaid marked. By the way, European Countries assisted. Were very appreciative. Canada. The colombians were fantastic. They took real risk yesterday. This is a serious effort to address a very, very serious need. Another item of cent kiskeptn the region. Said guaido is a puppet. And the United States wants to exploit Venezuelas Oil. And skeptics point to the statement from National Security adviser john bolton last month when he said it will make a big difference in the United States economically if we could have American Oil Companies invest in and produce the oil capabilities in venezuela. How much does Venezuelas Oil reserves, oil capabilities factor into what the United States is doing in venezuela . Were aimed at a singular mission. Ensuring the venezuelan people get the democracy they so richly deserved and the cubans and the russians who have been driving this country into the ground for years and years and years no longer hold sway. Weve asked the military, we saw what happened yesterday. These are mostly collectivos, random gangs and groups that conducted these activities yesterday at the border crossings. Weve asked the military, take back take back the role that youve had in protecting your citizens. Its what the acting the acting leader maduro doesnt understand. Its what mr. Guaido does understand. These basic rights for the venezuelan people are important. We hope the military will take that role back in protecting their citizens from these tragedies. If that happens, i think good things will happen, including the restoration of the wealth that was created by those oil fields you spoke of. But it seemss as though maduro is not going anywhere near this plan. Hes holding on to power and the military seems to be staying with him. It always seems that way until the day it doesnt. I remember patrolling the east german border. No one predicted on that day in 1989 that that wall would come crumbling down. Predictions are difficult. Picking exact days of difficult. Im confident that the venezuelan people will ensure that maduros days are limited. Lets turn to the summit on wednesday. Vice president pence sid we still away concrete steps by north korea to dismantle the Nuclear Weapons. Researchers at Stanford University estimate that north korea added about seven Nuclear Weapons last year. What does north korea need to do at the sumsummit . What do they need to do for you to consider it a success . You have to go back to where we entered this. Weve always known this would take time and it would be a step forward, slower than the world has demanded. Right . This is a u. N. Security Council Resolution were attempting to achieve by getting north korea fully denuclearized. We started when the Obama Administration had a policy was was essentially test, pray and cower. Let them test, pray they stop and cower whin they made a threat. They did sanction also. Not remotely what this administration has done. And they didnt build out a coalition. An enormous Global Coalition weve built through the United Nations to put that pressure in place to allow us to begin to have what have been real negotiations over the past six or seven months. Im hopeful when President Trump and chairman kim get together theyll take a step to realizing what chairman kim promised. He promised to denuclearize. We hope hell do that. What would be a big step be . Whats the pledge that they need to do, i mean, last summit, it was nice. And the remains of u. S. Service members were brought back to the United States. But there wasnt any concrete step in terms of denuclearization. Weve got work to do on the denuclearization. Weve got remains back. Weve had testing stop. Those are good things. Tension along the border is reduced. If you ask military leaders on both sides. Tensions are reduced. There are many things he can do to demonstrate his commitment to denuclearization. Our negotiating team was on the ground the last three days and again today. Ill be there tomorrow to continue this discussion. I dont want to get into details of whats being proposed, what the offers and counteroffers may be, but a real step. A demonstrable, verifiable step is something that President Trump is very focused on achieving. Tensions on the peninsula have alleviated but your successor, gina haspel told congress that north korea is committed to developing a longrange Nuclear Armed missile that would pose a direct threat to the United States. President trump after the last summit tweeted, there is no longer a Nuclear Threat from north korea. Does he still believe theres no longer a Nuclear Threat from north korea, even though gina haspel says north korea is committed to creating this missile that could create the United States . Im familiar with the fact pattern. We know the history of the north koreans making promises, making commitments, lying, taking american money when president clinton said weve got this resolved back in 1994. This smrgs nadministration is ng to do that. Weve charted a different path. Weve been criticized for taking that path where we work and negotiate and the two who can effectuate the denuclearization and a Brighter Future for the north Korean People will gather for a second time. We have economic sanctions in place. And i am very hopeful that well make a substantial step towards achieving the full denuclearization in a verifiable way in north korea. The south koreans, the japanese have been great partners in this. And were very hopeful we can get a good outcome. Do you think north Korea Remains a Nuclear Threat . Yes. But the president said he doesnt. Thats not what he said. I know precisely he tweeted there is no longer a Nuclear Threat from north korea. What he said was the efforts made in singapore, this commitment have substantially taken down the risk to the American People. Its the mission of the secretary of state and the president of the United States to keep American People secure. Were aiming to achieve that. Thats just a direct quote, but i want to move on. You said sanctions against north korea wont be lifted until, quote, were confident that we substantially reduced that risk. The risk of a nuclear attack. But that standard, a subsfantsial reduction of risk, it seems different from what you said last june. Take a listen. Were going to get complete denuclearization. Only then will there be relief from the sanctions. So has the Trump Administration changed the conditions for sanction relief from complete denuclearization as you said in the clip to substantial reduction of risk . Jake, theres no change. Remember, these sanctions cover a broad away of activities. The core economic sanctions, the sanctions that prevent countries from conducting trade, creating wealth for north korea, those sanctions are definitely going to remain in place. There are other things we can do. Exchanges of people. Lots of other ways that north korea sanctioned today that if we get a substantial step, a move forward, we can certainly provide an outlet which would demonstrate our commitment to the process as well. So its kind of a sliding scale. Substantial reduction. Some sanctions are relieved but not all and then complete denuclearization, more sanctions are relieved. Is that right . Jake, remember, the core sanctions, the core u. N. Security Council Resolution sanctions, full, verified, denuclearization. Thats the standard for relieving those sanctions. That policy has not changed since the day President Trump took office. Take a listen to what the president s director of National Intelligence said just last month about the threat from north korea. We currently assess that north korea will seek to retain its wmd capabilities and is unlikely to completely give up its Nuclear Weapons and production capabilities because its leaders ultimately view Nuclear Weapons as critical to regime survival. How do you convince kim to give up something that he thinks is critical to his regimes survival . What is the United States offering thats better than that . Weve made it very plain to chairman kim, the alternative to giving up his Nuclear Weapons is remaining a pariah state, a nation that is unable to trade, unable to grow, unable to take care of its own people. Weve made the argument that it would be far better, far better for chairman kim himself, his senior leadership, all of the people for north korea. Weve also shared with him that were happy to make sure that north koreas security assurances. Theyre worried about china. That the security assurances they need can be provided in a way thats reasonable, and weve also told them there will be real opportunities. Countries from around the world will come make his economy one that looks more like south koreas economy than the one that exists in north korea today. Those are the kinds of things. Ive been with chairman kim i think more hours now than anybody, including dennis rodman. Weve had these conversations now over an extended period, and with what senator coats, director coats said is the history. Were hoping to move forward and change that history. North korea wants the United States to end the declaration of war. Of the korean war. Is that on the table for the summit . Talked about a lot of things, jake. I just prefer not to get into where the negotiations stand today. The United States announced it was pulling out of the intermediate range Nuclear Forces treaty with russia. Vladimir putin this week threatened to respond to any new u. S. Missiles in europe with missiles of its own pointed at the United States. I havent heard any response from the United States government about that, but that seemed like a fairly threat dire threat. Thats a bluster out of moscow for sure. I think that blufter is aimed at covering up the court challenge. He was talking about americas decision to withdraw from the inf treat che covers intermediate range missile systems. The russians violated that treaty. Really only two parties to the treaty. The russians violated it. It made no sense for the American People to suffer under the constraints of that treaty given they werent going to continue to adhere to the constraints. Now its time to figure out how to move forward and come up with something the russians will actually live by. Vladimir putin chose not do that. His bluster is aimed at trying to convince the world, to drive a wedge between the United States and europe when everyone is fully on board. The europeans were fully supportive of our decision, and well move Forward Together in ensuring the security of the United States people. One last question for you, sir. I know that Benjamin Netanyahu is a close ally of President Trump and also of yours. You just met with him. Several major Jewish American groups, ones very supportive of israel, this week condemned netanyahu for outreach hes conducted to an extreme right wing, an extremist group, a jewish group as hes seeking his fifth term in office. It has its roots in the racist, radical kah party banned in israel. Just called racist and despicable bay aipac. Does the Trump Administration have any concerns about netanyahu extending outreach to this racist Political Party . Jake, the United States relationship is with israel. Were not about to get involved in an election to interfere in an election of a democracy. Election campaigns are tough. Well allow the israeli people to sort this out. Im confident that when the election is over, the United States will continue to have a strong, important, very, very deep relationship with israel that protects the American People and benefits israel as well. Is it not the responsibility of an ally of israel to reach out and say when you think the Prime Minister is doing something wrong, doing something that violates the values of that relationship and the values of the jewish state . This administration has been very vocal when we see Human Rights Violations wherever we find them. Friends, foes, adversaries, allies. Weve been very consistent. We do it in different ways at different times. Well certainly continue to do that. Its a deep, important tradition of the United States