Trump deploys unpredictability as weapon in stand-off with North Korea

President Trump’s refusal to specify when or how he might use military force against North Koreans has emerged as a strategy unto itself amid rising tensions over Pyongyang’s continued missile testing and drive toward nuclearization.

The White House faces mounting pressure to set conditions and limits for prospective intervention in North Korea. But officials have avoided tipping their hand as to how the administration will proceed, instead touting Trump’s unpredictability as a deterrent for North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to weigh carefully.