Tag: Secretary of State

The U.S. is ready to allow investments in North Korea once it has verifiable proof of the Asian nation’s denuclearization, two of President Donald Trump’s top national security officials said. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo went further in an interview on CBS. The remarks come ahead of a historic summit between Trump and Kim in Singapore on June 12 that may pave the way for the North Korean dictator to give up his nuclear arsenal. Not Seeing Stars Kim is expected to seek swift relief from severe economic sanctions in exchange for steps to shut down its nuclear program. The U.S. has insisted that Pyongyang completely abandon its nuclear program before easing its “maximum pressure campaign” of sanctions and diplomatic isolation. “He sees the chance of a breakthrough, but I don’t think he has stars in his eyes over this,” Bolton said of Trump. Pompeo said on “Fox News Sunday” that North Korea would be allowed access to private-sector U.S. capital for infrastructure projects if “complete, verifiable, irreversible denuclearization” occurs. “We can create conditions for real economic prosperity for the North Korean people that will rival that of the south,” Pompeo added. That will be a heavy lift, however: The Central Intelligence Agency estimates 2017 per-capita gross domestic product for South Korea at $39,400 against North Korea’s $1,700 in 2015, the most recent figure available. Pompeo has spent“a great deal of time with Chairman Kim” on two recent visits to Pyongyang, he said.

The President was all smiles in public today at the swearing-in of his new Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, where we slowed him down to half speed for tonight's self-congratulatory #DrunkDonaldTrump. Miley Cyrus on 'F**K YOU' Tweet Taking Back Apology…

He was a member of Congress for a half-dozen years and has run the CIA for well over a year without any significant missteps. So the fact that his nomination as secretary of State is even in doubt pretty much boils down to politics. And that's why the Foreign Relations Committee narrowly approved the Pompeo nomination the Pompeo nomination yesterday on a party-line vote, made possible only because Rand Paul bowed to pressure from President Trump. The Democrats don't really have a case against Pompeo, especially those who thought he'd be just fine as CIA director. It's their way of sticking it to Trump. White House officials point to Republican support for the nominations of Hillary Clinton and John Kerry. Trump took to Twitter to blame the Democratic opposition on "obstructionists." Pompeo would have lost the committee vote if Paul, who objected to Pompeo's support of the Iraq war, hadn't flipped at the last minute, using as cover the claim that he's now been assured that the nominee agrees with Trump's opposition to the conflict. So he will likely wind up being confirmed by a vote or two. Pompeo would have been the first nominee for the State Department's top job to be rejected in committee since votes started to be recorded in 1925.

Republican senator from South Dakota weighs in on 'Fox News @ Night with Shannon Bream' on obstacles ahead for President Trump's Cabinet picks. FOX News Channel (FNC) is a 24-hour all-encompassing news service dedicated to delivering breaking news as well…

Mike Pompeo meets with Kim Jong Un in the midst of heated confirmation battle to become secretary of state; Rich Edson has the latest from the State Department. FOX News Channel (FNC) is a 24-hour all-encompassing news service dedicated to…

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and White House chief of staff John Kelly have voiced frustration about Jared Kushner's encroachment on Tillerson's position, according to a report from Politico. Tillerson is reportedly frustrated with Kushner's involvement in foreign affairs, which are usually handled by the nation's diplomatic corps. Kushner, however, has been responsible for Israeli-Palestinian relations, as well as U.S. relations with Mexico and China. “We can’t have four secretaries of state,” Tillerson said. Politico also reports that Kelly has repeated Tillerson's complaints, which reportedly have not been taken well by Kushner. "We need a secretary of state who is supportive of the president," Kushner told Kelly, according to Politico. Kelly is in the process of grappling with the issue of Kushner's security clearance in the White House. Trump said on Friday that Kelly would have the final say on Kushner's security clearance. “I will let Gen. Kelly make that decision,” Trump said at a news conference. “And he's going to do what's right for the country.

Advisers and allies of President Trump have suggested replacing Secretary of State Rex Tillerson with CIA Director Mike Pompeo, according to an Axios report. Trump is said to have a good rapport with Pompeo, who delivers the President's Daily Brief. According to Axios, Pompeo would be seen by world leaders as a member of Trump's inner circle in a way Tillerson is not. At the same time, however, White House chief of staff John Kelly has reportedly urged the president against high-level shake-ups before next year, fearing that it would only add to the chaos in the administration. Trump and Tillerson's relationship has appeared increasingly fraught. The president has publicly undercut his top diplomat more than once, and a bombshell Washington Post report this week portrayed tensions based not only on major policy disagreements, but small matters as well. In an unusual news conference on Wednesday, Tillerson sought to dispel an NBC News report that White House officials, including Vice President Pence, had to talk him out of stepping down over the summer. "The vice president has never had to persuade me to remain as secretary of State because I have never considered leaving," Tillerson said. But in that same news conference, Tillerson did not address part of that report claiming that he had once called Trump a "moron" after a tense meeting over the administration's Afghanistan strategy.

David Ignatius of the Washington Post and former White House Chief of Staff Andy Card talk Trump's relationship with his Secretary of State and what foreign leaders think of Tillerson. » Subscribe to MSNBC: http://on.msnbc.com/SubscribeTomsnbc About: MSNBC is the premier…

Seth takes a closer look at the aftermath of President Trump's disastrous response to the humanitarian crisis in Puerto Rico, and a simmering feud with his secretary of state. » Subscribe to Late Night: http://bit.ly/LateNightSeth » Get more Late Night with…

Seth Meyers' monologue from Wednesday, October 4. » Subscribe to Late Night: http://bit.ly/LateNightSeth » Get more Late Night with Seth Meyers: http://www.nbc.com/late-night-with-seth-meyers/ » Watch Late Night with Seth Meyers Weeknights 12:35/11:35c on NBC. LATE NIGHT ON SOCIAL Follow Late Night on Twitter: https://twitter.com/LateNightSeth…