Secretary of State Mike Pompeo blasted a reporter who asked why denuclearization was not part of an agreement President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un signed.

"Can you tell us a little bit more about what is, what is — what is discussed about how" the denuclearization would be verified, the reporter said to Pompeo, The Hill reported.

"Just so you know, you could ask me this, I find that question insulting and ridiculous and, frankly, ludicrous," Pompeo said. ". . . I just have to be honest with you. It's a game and one ought not to play games with serious matters like this."

The specifics of the agreement needed to be reached, but the goal of the agreement was in print and Trump and Kim signed it, Pompeo said.

"I suppose we — you — could argue semantics, but let me assure you it's in the document," Pompeo said. ". . . I am confident that they understand what we're prepared to do, the handful of things that we're likely not prepared to do.

Pompeo said the U.S. hopes to achieve "major disarmament" in North Korea within President Donald Trump's first term.

"You used the term major, major disarmament, something like that?" he said. "We're hopeful that we can achieve that in the two and a half years."

The president said Tuesday he believed Kim would start denuclearizing "virtually immediately."

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