Trump: N. Korea ‘Should Have Been Taken Care of By Past Administrations When They Were Not Nearly So Far Along’

RUSH EXCERPT: 
REPORTER: "Thank you. Mr. President , Mr. Prime minister, nice to see you again. Mr. President , you sent your CIA director to Pyongyang a couple weeks ago. He returned without three Americans being detained there. And also without any other visible signs of concessions the North Koreans had made to the United States in advance of your meeting with Mr. Kim. My question is, do you intend or are you willing to sit down with Kim Jong un if Americans are still being held in North Korea? And will you insist on other tangible concessions from the North Koreans in return for gestures like sending a potential future secretary of state to North Korea? From, for the prime minister, a moment ago you alluded to new trade talks between your minister and Mr. Robert lighthizer. Should we interpret that to mean you are open to negotiating a bilateral trade deal between the United States and Japan and then a second question, Japan is the only major American ally that was not exempted from the steel tariffs. Did you ask the president to exempt Japan and if so, how did he reply?"
ABE: "President Trump: Thank you. The fact is they do have three prisoners. We have been talking about them. We are negotiating now. We are doing our very best. As you know, they have been there a long time. It is harsh treatment. We fought very hard to get Otto Warmbier back. When we got him back, he was in very, very bad condition. It was a very sad event. We are likewise fighting a very diligently to get the three American citizens back. I think there’s a good chance of doing it. We are having very good dialogue. We will keep you informed. But we are in there, and we are working very hard on that. We have come a long way with North Korea. We were, as you know, and when I say “We,” for many years they have been talking to North Korea nothing is has happened. They should have been taken care of by past administrations when they were not nearly so far along. But we put unbelievably powerful sanctions on and many other things. I want to think publicly president XI of China who has done more for us than is done for any other administration or any leader of China has done for any president or administration. He has plugged up the border, and he’s done it very, very powerfully. He would tell you himself that he never thought he would go to this. It’s put a lot of pressure on. 93% of the goods coming into North Korea come from China. Of months that are lying ahead. He doesn’t want to see a Korea, North Korea or any career that has nuclear weapons either. So he’s also fighting for China when it comes to this but he has been terrific. Can he be better? I always say yes, he can be better. I said president, you’ve been great. Can you be better? Yes. But he’s been very good. And that’s had a big impact. What we’ve done is that a big impact. So we have never been in a position like this without regime, whether it’s father, grandfather, or son. And I hope to have a very successful meeting. If we don’t think it’s going to be successful, mark, we won’t have it. We won’t have it. If I think it’s a meeting that’s not going to be fruitful, we are not going to go. If the meeting, one night and there is not fruitful, I will respectfully leave the meeting."