White House press secretary Sean Spicer on Monday refused to say if President Trump ordered the cyber sabotage of North Korea’s ballistic missile test on Sunday, but did say Trump was “well aware” of Kim Jong-un’s plans.
Spicer said on Fox News that Trump knew about North Korea’s plans to test another ballistic missile during its national holiday Sunday, but wouldn’t confirm reports that the U.S. helped bring down the missile through a cyber attack.
“The president and his team were well aware of North Korea’s actions,” he said.
“This is not a helpful action by North Korea, we urge everyone in the region, especially China, to put pressure on North Korea,” he added. “We can’t afford a nuclear North Korea.”
Spicer said Trump is prepared for “multiple contingencies” should North Korea test another nuclear weapon or ballistic missiles.
“The president has been very clear he’s not going to telegraph his response to any threat before it happens,” he said.
In the Middle East, Spicer said Trump still wants to work with Russia in Syria on fighting the Islamic State despite worsening tension between the two countries.
Spicer said Russia’s backing of Bashar Assad, Syria’s president, is disturbing, but said Trump’s tough talk toward the Kremlin in recent weeks doesn’t preclude some collaboration.
“We’ve got a shared interest in curbing the threat of ISIS and I think we want to keep an open dialogue in that area when it comes to a shared national responsibility,” he said.
