PRESS RELEASE
Trump Reimposes Highest Level of Sanctions on North Korea
Nov. 20, 2017 (EIRNS)—Before the start of a meeting with seated members of his Cabinet this morning, President Trump summarized results of his 12-day trip to Asia.
The President began his remarks with some broad statements about the inequities in international trade that previous Presidents had allowed.
The President then announced that the United States was designating North Korea "a state sponsor of terrorism," a designation applied to North Korea in the past, which had been removed.
The President said that North Korea had repeatedly supported acts of international terrorism and assassination on foreign soil. He pointed to the case of Otto Warmbier, a young American who was arrested while legally touring North Korea for taking a poster, imprisoned, and returned to the United States in a coma, where he died.
"This designation will impose further sanctions over the next few weeks on North Korea. The North Korean regime must be lawful, and it’s unlawful,"
the President said, further stating that over the next two weeks the United States will impose additional sanction— and very large ones—on North Korea.
The President also spoke to the Cabinet on trade, saying that he had concluded $300 billion worth of trade deals, and that the figure could reach $1 trillion in the near future. Trump said that the United States "would be renegotiating its trade deal with South Korea. "
We lost $800 billion last year on trade deals with other countries. That’s changing," said Trump.
Trump spoke of "restoring America’s competitive edge, which has been declined over the last 40 years."
He praised the House of Representatives for passage of his tax cut, and said that after taxes he would address healthcare, infrastructure, and welfare reform. He did not mention China’s economic progress, or its Belt and Road.
The President also spoke of "the opioid epidemic that is ravaging families and communities across the country." He announced that he had appointed Alex Azar, as Health and Human Services Secretary. Azar, who previously held a top position at drug manufacturer Eli Lilly, is known for his focus on the cost of all medical treatment. Azar replaces former Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Tom Price, who resigned after a scandal had broken on his spending at HHS on chartered private planes for his travel.
