With the North Koreans claiming to have successfully tested a hydrogen bomb this week, President Donald Trump on Thursday reiterated that “military action would certainly be an option” against the rogue regime. “I would prefer not going the route of the military, but it’s something certainly that could happen,” he said during a joint White House press conference with the visiting emir of Kuwait. “Hopefully we’re not going to have to use it on North Korea. If we do use it on North Korea, it will be a very sad day for North Korea.”
A senior administration official later insisted that “all options are on the table” for denuclearizing North Korea, from economic sanctions and diplomacy to a military option. “I would say only that we’re considering a broad range of options. I don’t want to go into specifics on the question that you raised, but we’re not kidding when we say that all options are on the table,” said the official.
All options, perhaps, but direct talks with the North Koreans seem to be low on the list of likely paths for resolution. “We’ve left the door open to talks with the North Koreans from the earliest days of this administration,” said the administration official. “And North Korea’s answer has been now more than a dozen ballistic missile tests, it’s been taking additional hostages … it’s included the use of a nerve agent in an international airport, it’s included threatening Guam with missile strikes, it’s included the lofting of a nuclear missile over Japan, and it’s included six nuclear tests.”
The official added: “Their actions have spoken louder than words. It’s just now not the time to negotiate with the North Koreans.”
The message to North Korea from the White House is that the U.S. may very well respond militarily to a true threat to the country or its allies. “The danger of miscalculation, the danger that this comes to conflict is rising as a direct result of their efforts to develop this terrible arsenal,” said the senior administration official. “I think there’s a great risk right now that they might miscalculate.”
At what point do North Korea’s provocations become perceived as real threats? The administration won’t say. “I don’t think that we want to define publicly what that line is. The president will be the one who decides, ultimately, when a line has been crossed,” said the official. “I think that we’ll stick with a slightly ambiguous position on that with the caveat that the North Korean regime should not underestimate American will to protect ourselves and our allies and to prevent a much darker future that they are pursuing right now.”
The administration has not concluded that Sunday’s test from the North Koreans, its sixth nuclear test, was a hydrogen bomb, but the official said there’s “nothing inconsistent” between what the U.S. government knows and what Pyongyang claims. Reports late Thursday night indicate that U.S. intelligence says it is “highly probable” that a hydrogen bomb was detonated.
On the possibility that the newly nuclearized North Korea could be providing its technology or weapons to other nations or terrorist groups, the administration only pointed to the regime’s past actions.
“We know that they have proliferated a broad range of conventional weapons. We know that they’ve proliferated ballistic missile technology. It’s clear that they’ve proliferated chemical weapons as well, and also nuclear technology. Without talking about their intentions going forward, I can say that the record of the past gives us very little comfort about what the world would look like if North Korea possesses an arsenal of these weapons,” said the official.
Trump Tweet of the Day
For all of those (DACA) that are concerned about your status during the 6 month period, you have nothing to worry about – No action!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 7, 2017
First a short-term debt ceiling/funding agreement with Chuck Schumer, and now this? Trump may like the feeling of keeping Republicans on Capitol Hill in shock and finding a new friend in Schumer, but scrapping the debt ceiling would be rubbing salt in the wounds of conservative fiscal hawks.
Republicans like Ted Cruz told reporters Thursday that “of course” the debt ceiling should remain in place. But if Congress continues to, after much sound and fury and drama, bump up the limit every few months, how much good is the debt ceiling as a tool for fiscal restraint anyway?
Quote of the Day—“It’s fine … everything’s fine.” – Mitch McConnell, the Senate majority leader, on his relationship with Trump.
The humiliation of last season’s spectacular Super Bowl loss by the Falcons hasn’t worn off for this Atlanta fan. (Gregg Easterbrook’s TMQ last week was a terrible reminder of the biggest choke since Bill Buckner’s boner in the ’86 World Series.)
But I guess it’s good Matt Ryan and the rest of the team have moved on, as the star quarterback writes over at the Player’s Tribune. Here’s hoping the Dirty Birds aren’t hung over.
2018 Watch—Centrist Republican House member Charlie Dent of Pennsylvania has announced he’ll be retiring at the end of his term.
Feature of the Day—“Nirvana, Lauryn Hill, and Faxes From Don Henley: Behind the Scenes at the Original ‘MTV Unplugged’”
Song of the Day—
“Feel It Still” by Portugal. The Man.
