Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said Sunday “all options are on the table” when it comes to dealing with the threat of nuclear weapons from North Korea.
“The president doesn’t want to be in a nuclear war and we will do everything we can to make sure that doesn’t occur,” Mnuchin said on ABC’s “This Week.” “On the other hand, the president will protect the American people and our allies.”
Last week, North Korea fired a ballistic missile over Japan. Mnuchin called such actions “unacceptable.”
“Having a country like this having nuclear weapons and testing and using them and sending them over our allies is unacceptable,” Mnuchin said.
President Trump has asserted a strike by North Korea against the United States or its allies would be met with an overwhelming response. During United Nations remarks this week Trump referred to Kim Jong Un, the North Korean leader, as “Rocket Man” and warned of potentially obliterating the country.
“This is not about personalities,” Mnuchin said. “This is not personal. This is about someone who is testing nuclear weapons.”
The U.S. is placing more economic sanctions on North Korea. North Korea has said it intends to build a missile capable of striking the U.S. with a nuclear bomb and that it is testing a hydrogen bomb.
