President Donald Trump says his chief diplomat is “wasting his time” trying to negotiate with North Korea about its nuclear and missile programs.
Trump tweets this advice to Secretary of State Rex Tillerson: “Save your energy, Rex, we’ll do what has to be done!”
The president isn’t elaborating, but he told the United Nations last month that if the U.S. is “forced to defend itself or its allies, we will have no choice but to totally destroy North Korea.”
Tillerson — while in China — said Saturday the U.S. is maintaining direct channels of communications with North Korea and probing the North’s willingness to talk.
Trump says he’s told Tillerson that “he’s wasting his time trying to negotiate with Little Rocket Man.” That’s a reference to leader 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
(AP)
2 Responses
Tillerson might think he’s wasting his time being Secretary of State in the cabinet of President Tweet.
Tillerson is doing his job. Miracles could happen. Even when war appears inevitable it is the job of diplomats to keep talking. It is the Defense Secretary’s job to get the military ready for an upcoming conflict.
North Korea may back down if faced with certain destruction, especially if China decides to be the instrument of “regime change” leading to a “modern China-style” regime in North Korea (which would make China happy, South Korea and Japan content, and for the North Korea dictator would be a lot preferable to Trump inspired regime change).