We now know that. Another historic move by the administration President Trump flanked. [indiscernible] this as south korea warns the road regime to the north it could be affixing tell lots more missile tests before the end of the year which would be in direct defiance of International Diplomatic rules and pressures. From main street to wall street to capitol hill tax reform still issue number one. Senate leadership it could be a fire sale. Tax reform. It all comes to this. It appears that there is now at least five republican senators threatening to do that. At the capital. Last week during our show senator rob johnson came out and said no. We are now close to half a dozen now. It depends on how you look at this. They were all jockeying for position. They were going to be debating and voting on that. Everybody wants something. And then a few of those. John mccain. Ron johnson. Lisa murkowski. They are traditionally some of the problems that republicans had had pushing the agenda forward. Langford is concerned about adding to the debt. Those three and 1. 5 trillion. Did the vote for the budget resolutions. She is expected to be a no and over the weekend she actually was calling for some, rises. Take a listen. The reduction in the business tax rate is too steep. And then use that money which is about 200 billion to restore the Tax Deduction for the state and local property taxes. This is all jockeying backandforth. Over the weekend said look, we want to get tax reform done at we have to maybe we dont repeal here he is in his own words. If we can repeal part of it and to have a tax bill is still a good tax bill that can pass thats great. If it becomes an impediment to getting the best tax bill we can keep an eye mostly on Susan Collins. She is getting it drilling and in one. Keep an eye on the sport mostly. It really does seem numb langford and as of course we have seen jeff flake. We are waiting to see if Sarah Huckabee sanders when she takes the issue will she address the issue they dont really seem to be talking about a fiscal conservative behavior a real linchpin of conservatism. We thought last week. One of our sources was actually giving us the notes with senators. They know that public reaction to the tax bill this is the words from inside that meeting in the phone call. It is is not good for the senators. The words used during the whip call last night. Lets get to the payment pavement. Real movement this week on some of the biggest media mergers that have been keeping investors on the edge of their seats because they have not gone through or been officially announced but the rumor meal dash mill is going nuts. At this time on friday charlie gasper you was breaking some news on this. Lets take this now. Secretary of state is there as well. Lets listen in. It was to pursue the the denuclearization of the korean peninsula. This designation will impose increased sanctions and penalties in north korea that will continue our progress towards that goal. North korea has ported acts of International Terrorism including assassinations on foreign soil. The position as this. The north korean regime must be lawful. It must and its unlawful nuclear and missile program. We have secretary of state Rex Tillerson here to answer some of the questions he will make a couple of remarks and then take questions on that topic. Ill be back after that. Thank you sarah. And esther indicated he did make the designation earlier today and announced in the Cabinet Meeting. I think it is really just the latest step in the series of ongoing steps to increase the pressure i call it the peaceful pressure campaign. There is no confusion. For number of a number of actions that they have taken after the last several months. Some of you will know that north korea was designated as a state sponsor of terrorism back in 1998. They had been designated before. It was lifted in 2008 as part of an effort to associate with north korea and into their nuclear program. That obviously failed. Because we can see where we are today. The assassinations outside of their country using banned chemical weapons. These are all very serious actions on their part. It puts the public at risk at will. Along with a number of other actions of ticket resulted in their designation now again. I think sarah indicated the practical effect of it we already had so many of these actions in place. It made it and disrupt and dissuade some third parties from undertaking certain activities as it does impose the prohibition on a number of other activities that might not be covered by existing sanctions. This is just continuing to point out that north koreas illicit unlawful behavior internationally and we thought it necessary to reimpose that designation for that reason. I will let sarah referee. I am no good at that. [indiscernible] why wait until we are back in the u. S. And this seems to be canada. We still hope for diplomacy. The timing of this is just one of us concluding the process there is a very specific designation process that we have to go through at the state department to be able to meet the criteria and make such a designation. And we want to ensure that we have fully met all of those requirements this is all part of continuing to turn this pressure up and we continue to turn up on north korea by getting other countries to join. We had had other countries in our visit to vietnam. They have committed that they are going to curtail activities further. Singapore has cut off all trade. And just recently they had been in africa. The Sudanese Government has traditionally been buying weapons from north korea. They will halt all of those purchases as well. Its taken effect all around the world. As it takes effect this just continues to tighten the pressure on the regime all with an intention to head him understand this is only going to get worse. Until you are ready to come and talk. We are hopeful that he continues. This quiet time. We hope that he will continue to be quite as well. This designation as i have said is one that we are required to undertake from time to time. We had weve been monitoring the situation. We wanted to make sure that we have significant evidence. This is a process that started actually several months ago. You mentioned that they increase that pressure. How long do you get that. We get the information. And then what the chinese and other share with us. The general belief is having us with a significant effect on north korea. There are current shortages of fuel based on what we can gather from certain until sources we know that their revenues are down because the number of the Revenue Streams are being curtailed now. I think it does have an effect. Its the reason that we havent have a provocative act in 50 days. We are hoping that it will continue. I think the president and his address in Seoul South Korea i thought he laid out the case very well to them that he wanted them to come have talks. He wants to deliver a different future. Can you give me an example of a Third Party Transaction there could be certain dual use equipment that may not had been covered under previous sanctions. And i want to suggest to you that the designation is suddenly going to put a whole new layer of sanctions on them because again i think we already had north korea so heavily sanctioned and some anyways with the resolutions that have been undertaken but this will close a few additional loopholes. Can you give us another example on foreign soil. Ill have anything that i can share with you specifically. The treasury has been there. We have not given up. Let me say this with china. To ensure that they are fully committed to implementing all of the un sanctions. As you will recall the last rounds of the sanctions have a pretty severe restriction. You control the oil pipeline whether they are doing that are not. Its very difficult for us to know whether they are taking actions to curtail all supplies to them. President trump said the Treasury Department is going to be announcing additional sanctions. I would like to leave it to the treasury. Were just we are just going out more broadly now. I would like to leave it to the announcement tomorrow. Do you see it as more symbolic are something that does have a lot of keys to it. It just points out again what a rogue regime and this is and how brutal it is. And how little they care for the value of human life. I think it is just the nature of this regime. They may be limited but hopefully we are close enough of you loopholes with this. If china does not agree their fuel supplies are already quite constrained. We had evidence that there are fuel shortages in north korea obviously the civilians are by and large the ones that cant get fuel. We see long lines of vehicles. We see certain stations that appear to be out of fuel because they are closed when normally they would be open. The indication is that they are already quite tight and as you know they only refight a small amount of their fuel needs. They operate at a low capacity. They were dependent on imports of finished fuel products it has been constrained significantly. I dont know that the cutting off of oil is the magic wand or the Silver Bullet that can bring them to the table. What i would say is that the north koreans have demonstrated a pass. They would make their people pay but they have an enormous capacity. I dont want to suggest that we think that that one action is all it takes to get them to the table. I just want to pick up on olivias question. How indeterminate was that specific evidence that you made the determination and also wanted to ask you i think that was unusual. And about that meeting. On the assassinations. It was a significant event that cause us to really begin to look carefully at what else they might have been doing because that assassination involved the use of a chemical agent. Agent. One of the things that we wanted to ensure was that we have a sufficient certainty around their role in the particular assassination. Weve been working with malaysian authorities as well. I want to let them have their own process play out as well. We are just both in the Cabinet Meeting today. There has been a suggestion. Was that a determining factor at all. You talk about that. And using the chemical agent. In london. Should they be considered. I think we have to consider every country that would take a substance like that and use it illegally. I want to comment on that. Pain the price. It is always a difficult place choice that you make. They already live under infamously difficult conditions and i think while we are focused on a mission is contained north korea in the trash trajectory that is the best way we can help the north Korean People in the future is to have him reduce his Nuclear Weapons program. They would provide a better life for his people. They are running out of diplomatic options. No, i do not. To have time for one last question. Thank you mister secretary. You talked about limited intelligence on north korea and on the regime. Is there any evidence or possibly reaction against the current government by other members of the family i want to be a little careful about how i answer that. One i would comment on you are well aware of the number of executions that have occurred. Within his inner circle. And within many of the military people that are close to him. I will leave it to your own interpretation. Thank you. See mac. Will get to some more questions. I know there is a lot of interest today thank you again secretary of state for coming in and answering questions. As many of you shift gears just a little bit on some happier notes i know a lot of you have started to notice that the Christmas Season has officially arrived here at the white house. The first lady and beren trump will receive a beautiful 19foot Christmas Tree which will serve as the official Christmas Tree. It will arrive via horse john wagon. In wisconsin. The chapmans or grand champion winners of the 2,017th national Christmas Tree contest. They had presented the official white house Christmas Tree since 1966. The grand champion grower. We have some other holidays like things giving coming up. And this will be our last press briefing. I want to share a few things im thankful for. Obviously im clearly very thankful for all of you. In all seriousness im very thankful for my family my faith, that thankful for the brave men and women of the military many of whom who are away from their families during the holidays protecting the freedoms that all of us in this room enjoy. I am thankful for the incredible revenge privilege. I get a call on you. If you want to ask a question i think its only fair since ive shared what im think before that you start off with what you are thankful for. Does anybody want to be first. Start a stop at what you are more thankful for. Im think a full for 20 years in this job. For my family and my friends and thankful to the be able to question you every single day. I hope you felt the passion of my spirit. There is a black hole that comes from intelligence. And he was talking about things will get worse until there can talk. With that said. The concern about the intelligence and what we know about. That relates to the Nuclear Capabilities of north korea and what are the concerns about that. The biggest concern is making sure that we take steps every single day to protect americans thats what the action of the president is and in the he is taken today. To put a very large focus on d nuclear rising the nuclear that peninsula. We dont feel like they are fully there yet. That we take steps to prevent them from getting any further into this process. I cant go really can go really deep into specifics on information like that but certainly the priority of the ministry is to protect americans and partner with our allies and our friends around the globe to do that. I think that is what your seat with some of the actions that took place today. Im sure that they will happily ask for that. Im starting to regret calling on you first. And i wanted to go away. I will move on to one of your colleagues. Im thankful for you calling on me. I want to ask about something that kelly and conway said. She did not directly endorse a republican that is running. However, they opened the door to a question that we have not really discussed. Whether the president would be supportive of a campaign of someone like Luther Strange or jeff sessions. I think we had addressed this. I would have addressed it quite a few times. Who their next senator will be. I had answered a number of questions on this topic in our position has not changed over the weekend. It is certainly still the same as it was. On thursday and on friday. Supportive of people of alabama and making the decision of who their next senator should be. And thank you for my health, my family and my faith. Im thankful that you addresses every day here. My question is about the senate race and this is an unusual question because normally we would ask you a question about the republicans and the nominee. For the statewide office. And whether or not the president is supportive of that. But my question is just that. Would you be pleased if roy moore wins his senate race in alabama . The present wants people both in the house in the senate that support his agenda but as ive said in as the hatch prohibits me from going any further. This is a something that the people of alabama should decide. I will not weigh in anything for further beyond those comments. Im thankful for my family and my parents and thankful that they sent me to the university of michigan and not ohio state. My question is on taxes as well. That the Democratic Council do you think still think you can get democrats on board. Who would certainly still like too. I dont know why they would not want to support tax cuts for the middle class. It seems like something that they should be running to cast their vote for. Im thankful for the first amendment. Kelly and conway today, i want to ask my question a different way. She sent she warned the voters not to support doug jones. Is that the position of this white house that voters are better off voting for someone accused of that. As i had answered i think even for the third or fourth time just today just as well as ten or 15 time on thursday and friday of last week. It has not changed. We feel like the people of alabama should make the determination on who their next senator should be. Im giving you the answer in the and the position of the white house. Im grateful for my daughter and my family. As opposed to michigan. Does the president really regret that. And what message does that send. Maybe they can be held captive. The president was certainly very glad and thankful to see the relief of the athletes. And frankly its really fortunate that the president has built a Strong Enough relationship with president she that he was able to secure the american citizens. Whenever the president is able to use his office and those relationships to help american citizens he certainly is going to do it. The president was happy to intervene. I think he has made that clear by taking action upon himself to do that. And certainly something he has done several times in these brief short ten months that he has been in office. Im thankful for surviving our 12 days in asia. Im happy to be back here. The president has not made a weekly radio broadcast for more than a month now. Have they been scrapped by this administration and if so why. What is looking for different ways we have received quite a few comments and a lot of feedback that that weekly address was not being used to the full potential. We will keep you guys posted as those details happen. Im not im not aware of any conversations. The welfare reform is desperately needed what exactly is he talking about. Would sams or medicaid. I think there is no secret that the president has spoke about this during the campaign. And when we have specifics on that. I think the first part of next year. To see the details on that. You did break the rules by not seen anything that you are thankful with. In talk about the way has values or doesnt value the diversity among that. Not just in the judiciary. But across the administration. With the terms of relief on friday. They have not added any