Handle. What happened, in my opinion, is unacceptable. People have been talking about repeal and replace for seven years. Long before i ever decided to be doing what im doing. Seven years theyve been talking repeal and replace and it didnt happen. Not only didnt happen, it was a surprise. It was a horrible surprise. It was very unfair to the Republican Party and very unfair to the people of this country. I was not impressed. Now, can he do good . I think so. I think we can do well on tax, cuts, reform. I think well do well on infrastructure and things will happen with respect to health care. I think things will happen maybe outside of necessarily needing congress. Theres nithings i can do as president that will have a huge impact on health care. Have you spoken to the governor of guam, and what did you tell him . I have not. I feel they will be very safe. If anything happens to guam, theres going to be big, big trouble in north korea. Have you ordered any change in our Military Readiness . Doini dont want to say. I dont talk about that. You know that. Im not one that says were attacking mosul in four months. We do it or we dont do it. Youre interrupting your trip to return to washington on monday. Can you tell us why youre doing that . This isnt really a trip. I stay out of manhattan because its so disruptsiive to go. I have meetings on monday and tuesday going to manhattan. Its so disruptive. All of my life, my adult life because i grew up in queens not in manhattan but during the time when ever a president came in, it was very disruptive. I think im probably more disruptive than any of them. They have to close fifth avenue, when they have to close 56th street and many other streets. Im here for that reason. Were doing a tremendous amount of work. Were very large numbers of
meetings and im on the phone a lot. Im here for that reason. I would love to go to my home in trump tower but its very, very disruptive to do. The trip to washington on monday. We have a conference scheduled. We have an important meeting scheduled. Secretary tillerson spoken emphasizing diplomacy, are you two on the same page . Totally. Were going to get Effective Movement out of the regime in north korea. The president has made it clear. He prefers a diplomatic solution. I think he responded to that a moment ago. The president is trying to support our efforts by ensuring north korea understand what is the stakes are. Speaking of the state department, these recent attacks we learned about regarding diplomats in cuba. Who is responsible for the
acoustic attacks . We have not been able to determine who is to blame. Every host country has a responsibility for safety and security we hold them responsible for finding out who is carrying out these health attacks. There are other cases with other diplomats as well. What do you make of this . Its awful. You just described it correctly. This is why weaver bringing people out. Youre considering swen vene, what options are on the table . We have many options. Im not going to rule out a Military Option. We have many options for venezuela. Were all over the world and we have troops all over the world and places that are very, very far away. Venezuela is not very swar away
and the people are suffering and they are dying. We have many options for venezuela including a possible Military Option if necessary. U. S. Led . Say again. That would be a u. S. Led Military Option . We dont talk about it, but a Military Option and Military Option is something that we could perceive. We heard from north korea on state tv saying we consider the u. S. No more than a lump that we can beat to a jelly any time . Let me hear others say because when you say that, i dont know what youre referring to and whose making the statement. Let me hear kim jongun say it. You let me hear him say it. Mr. President , do you support Regime Change in north korea or . Venezuela . I dont want to comment. I think they are very different
places. Doin i dont want to comment. I support peace. I support safety, and i support having to get very tough if we have to to protect the American People and also to protect our allies. Do you think your Vice President will be a candidate for president in 2020 . I dont think so. I dont think so at all. Hes a good guy. Hes left for colombia and various other places. Hes been great ally. Are you considering further economic sanctions against north korea . We are. Theyre already very strong. We are considering additional sanctions at a very, very high level. Probably you can say as strong as they get. Thank you very much, everybody. Thank you. There you have president donald trump. Wrapping up a roughly 12minuteNews Conference in which he made a fair amount of news on this friday afternoon. Craig melvin in for ari melber on the beat. President trump there once again refusing to walk back any of his comments as they related to north korea. We saw him there flanked by his Secretary Of State, Rex Tillerson, u. N. Ambassador, nikki haley and General Mcmaster. He was asked about everything from those recent attacks, so to speak on diplomats there in cuba which there was significant hearing loss. Also, we saw him make some news as it relates to monday promising a big News Conference in washington, d. C. Would not get specific in terms of Subject Matter but said there was going to be some sort of important meeting followed by a big News Conference but again the lions share of that News Conference devoted to the topic
at hand, the topic of the last few days. President trump, saying hopefully it will all work out. Also, said he was being sacramen sarcastic earlier this week when he talked about thanks Vladmir Putin of russia for expelling those diplomats to save some money on payroll in this country. President trump wrapping up a News Conference. Weve got Kelly Odonnel there and congressman gregory meeks. Well get to what we might hear from the president on monday but just your general take aways from what we just heard from President Trump in new jersey. The president has taken questions from members of the White House Press pool four
times in about 30 hours. Hes spoken expassively on his views about north korea. Hes used colorful and sometimes hyperbolic rhetoric and trying to suggest reassurance to the American People. The people of guam and also reassurance to south korea saying that with his role in all of this that they will be safe. At the same time theres been this Ratcheting Up of the language between the american president and the young man in power in north korea. Stunning that the president wants to answer so many questions. In terms of the White House Press we do not refer to this as a News Conference because its a limited number of journalists. Its unannounced. The president is going back to washington on monday. He has, in the past, foreshadowed News Conferences that never materialized. That has happened before. We dont know the specifics here
but this was not a part of the agenda. He had expected to be in new jersey jersey, a couple of days in new york and back to bedminister. We have been aware of this and being asking senior officials for the topic, the purpose and not been able to learn what that is yet. The president didnt advance too much for us there. This was very notable that the president also gave his Secretary Of State an opportunity to speak. We have observed Rex Tillerson at times trying to sound more calming. Trying to reassure allies as hes traveled in Asia Today Standing by side with the president saying they are on the same page. They both believe in diplomacy and threats going back and forth. Also interesting to hear the president not rule out Military Action against venezuela. Also indicating there that he thought iran had violated the spirit of the Nuclear Agreement as well. Evelyn, the president tripling down, if not quadrupling down. Today promising a big, big trouble. What does that mean . Any idea . Im hoping that whatever it is on monday, if it relates to north korea that they will announce some sort of diplomatic breakthrough. His rhetoric still is a bit alarming. As you pointed out Rex Tillerson the Secretary Of State made a big poibnt of saying the president s bluster was aimed to strengthen their diplomatic efforts. He did say at the end, he said that kim jongun, himself, had not said the blustery comments about beating us to jelly or whatever the north korea press said. Interestingly the president
seemed to be noting that, i guess, the north Korean Leader had heard his, the president s threat that he should cease and desist with threatening the United States. Hopefully, that means theres some kind of Behind The Scenes Hard Core diplomacy going on that probably involves beijing as well. He also said at the beginning theres going to be a phone call tonight between President Trump and his chinese counterpart president chi. This is what President Trump said about guam just a few moments ago. Take a listen. If anything happens to guam, theres going to be big, big trouble in north korea. Have you ordered any change in our Military Readiness . I dont want to say. I dont talk about that. Im not one that will say were attacking mosul in four months. We do it or we dont do it. There was an Interesting Exchange when a reporter there appeared to try and press the president on precisely what he has meant over the last few days with fire and fury and with some of the other language. The president said at one point, i think you know the answer to that. The reporter asking are we headed toward war. He said i think you know. Hes trying to dial this back just a little bit . Not from the president. In fact, the Secretary Of State asks more president ial thatten the president does himself. My hope is that he listens to someone that has, at least, a sense of rationality and understand theyre not in a Reality Tv Show or playing the wwf. The threats that the counter rhetoric that the president is talking about is childish in my estimation. Its like you going to stoop
down no kim jonguns level when youre the president of the United States and the leader of the free world and supposed to be other leaders around the world are looking at how youre conducting yourself in this matter. Im concerned about the president s demeanor. I talk to people around the worm world and they hear the Secretary Of State and ask me but hes not the president. What will the president do . I think the president when you listen to him, you never know or at least it sounds to me its not plan. You dont see anything of substance coming out of his mouth. Where was his plan . He never put forward any piece of legislation or anything that one can see and understand and move on. Peter alexander, nbc National Correspondent was the voice a lot of us heard a few moments ago peppering the president with questions be questions. He joins us now on phone. Walk us through the atmosphere
of all of this. President trump there flanked by his top national security. Some of his top diplomatic advisors. Whats most striking is the fact theres been four of these sort of Press Availability where the president has been peppered with questions on variety of different topics of the course of the last 36 hours with the president announcing he will do major News Conference in washington, d. C. On monday. Something has changed for the president. Perhaps hes advised by his new Chief Of Staff try to do more of the talking for himself, not just on twitter but in front of cameras as we did today. This was an opportunity. After yesterday it felt like he got a lot out of his system. Perhaps hes been restless out here for his property. He wanted to address some of these topics on his own. I think a lot of people consider
vacation at his bedminister property as were in the pool van. We know he says he likes to go back to new york to his home. He misses his home but says its inconvenient which is one of the reasons he hasnt godone it yet. Hes going to washington, d. C. For a series of other meetings including the News Conference on monday. One of the reasons he Couldnt Be In Washington during his period of time was significant renovations taking place at the white house right now including photo you saw of the oval Office Cleared of all furniture as they just refurbished his office itself. We wait to see what it is he wants to announce on monday. Hes been making news with every answer over the course of the last 36 hours. We got to wonder if well hear from the president over the
rump is using language thats been heard by both of those individuals and the regimes they represent. Its great fodder on tell vigts. The important thing is how the north koreans react. Not some chatterbox in north korea. Its a very serious moment. Congressman meeks in addition to the news the president made, i think a lot of folks probably took notice on health care. He can do things as president on Health Care Just watch. The president has consistently blamed someone for his failures. Ive yet to see a plan that he has put forward. Hes yet to put a proposal and say this is what i, as president of the United States, wants. When something fails he tries to remove himself from it. Theres no substance. What the president may have caught a number of folks by surprise not taking Military Action off the table in venezuela. Did you see that coming . No, i didnt, craig. Heres the thing. Absolutely the president should never take Military Force off
the table, but its not the first thing that he should grab for. Military force is to be used as the last resort. Theres a lot of doctrines that have been written over time. You have to show the international community. What i find disturbing with venezuela and north korea now is this manufacturing of a crisis. The president is ramping up the rhetoric and creating a crisis. Nothing changed materially from last week or last month with regard to north korea. Theyve been steadily making progress and they are making more progress than before. They are still not at the point where they can get a Nuclear Weapon hitting, targeting,
successfully hitting washington or new york. Were still not there yet. The president has given the American Public the sense theres a new crisis here. Hes manufactured it. Hopefully, again, hes using his rhetoric to put diplomatic pressure on the various players. I think its a bit dangerous because, again, as hugh, said the north koreans are threatening guam. We dont need to threaten the venezuelans. Lets come up with a good strategy. Use our diplomatic effort and use the military means as a last resort. You also have to wonder, he was flanked there by General Mcmaster and secretary tillerson, you have to wonder if that venezuela line caught them by surprise as well. Probably. Really quickly, in terms of a preeveryonetive strike or perhaps a Military Strike in
ven venezuela, does he have the Constitutional Authority to conduct one or two of those . I think he has to come to the United States congress. Congress has to step up and demand that he does. What he has to do is make case to congress and the American People. He clearly has not done that. With 100 respect to the congressman, hes 100 wrong. I would point to the panama invasion. I would point to any number of opportunities that where president s past, including democrats have used force unilaterally. Its hard to understand how venezuela poses an immediate and direct threat to the security of the United States of america right now. Exactly. It could to American People. Thats why we went into agrgren
unprompted. Its cuban advisors thats running the regime. Lets beopen eyed and clear. Theres only one country that invaded another country. He clearly likes them and thats russia. Thats one country thats done something aggressively against another country. Were going to take a quick break here. President trump there saying fair amount in 13 minutes. Were going to continue to unpack it here for the next 30 minutes or so. This is the beat. Well take a beat or two and well be right back on the o