One could fairly say President Donald Trump is someone tempting war based on his recent rhetoric toward North Korea.
The president’s most recent verbal broadside against the Asian dictatorship occurred on Monday morning.
Our country has been unsuccessfully dealing with North Korea for 25 years, giving billions of dollars & getting nothing. Policy didn’t work!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 9, 2017
Before that, Trump had alarmed foreign policy observers over the weekend with a series of tweets that, by denouncing a quarter-century worth of negotiations with the claim that “only one thing will work,” seemed to imply the prospect of war.
Presidents and their administrations have been talking to North Korea for 25 years, agreements made and massive amounts of money paid……
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 7, 2017
…hasn't worked, agreements violated before the ink was dry, makings fools of U.S. negotiators. Sorry, but only one thing will work!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 7, 2017
When asked about those tweets on Saturday, Trump cryptically replied, “You’ll figure that out pretty soon.” He may have hinted at his deeper meaning when he complained to Mike Huckabee that same day, “This should have been handled 25 years ago. This should have been handled 10 years ago. It should have been handled during the Obama administration. The truth is, Mike, I was handed a mess. Not only there, I was handed a mess in the Middle East. Just a total mess.”
Nor were these the first October tweets that seemed to edge America closer to war with North Korea. On Thursday, Trump told reporters that they might be witnessing “the calm before the storm” and, when asked to elaborate on that, simply stated, “You’ll find out.”
TRUMP: "Maybe it's the calm before the storm."
…
REPORTER: "What storm Mr. President?"
TRUMP: "You'll find out." (via Satellite News) pic.twitter.com/bWMzGrDPNa— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) October 5, 2017
Last week Trump took a swipe at Secretary of State Rex Tillerson for his willingness to engage in diplomatic talks with the individual Trump has labeled “Little Rocket Man,” North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un.
I told Rex Tillerson, our wonderful Secretary of State, that he is wasting his time trying to negotiate with Little Rocket Man…
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 1, 2017
…Save your energy Rex, we'll do what has to be done!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 1, 2017
Being nice to Rocket Man hasn't worked in 25 years, why would it work now? Clinton failed, Bush failed, and Obama failed. I won't fail.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 1, 2017
“President Donald Trump’s tweets are sometimes emotionally incendiary but typically not overtly dangerous,” wrote Michael Tkacik of the Shreveport Times. “On the Korean peninsula, however, Trump’s remarks noticeably increase the likelihood of nuclear escalation.”
Meanwhile Ankit Panda of the South China Morning Post wrote on Monday morning, “North Korea will not have missed the message – indeed, messages – over these past few weeks. The world is now anticipating a long-range launch of its Hwasong-14 intercontinental ballistic missile over Japan, to demonstrate to its remaining doubters that it possesses the capability to strike the U.S. homeland.”
Panda added, “It is long past time for the United States to get its act together on North Korea policy.”
Twitter users have also expressed concern about Trump’s North Korea policies.
Trump is the most dangerous man in the world. Congress needs to intervene now & take his ability to start a preemptive war. #NorthKorea pic.twitter.com/DKm9ljqekW
— VoteVets (@votevets) October 7, 2017
Trump's day on Twitter:
– Late-night comics are bad
– NBC is bad
– I'm going on Huckabee's show
– War with North Korea sounds good to me— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) October 7, 2017
ALERT: Republican senator says Trump could be placing America “on the path to World War III.” https://t.co/ohw6MjNVsM#NorthKorea
— Peter Daou (@peterdaou) October 9, 2017
