President Trump’s comments (fire and fury) on North Korea was condemned by the US lawmakers

The President of United
state America Mr. Donald Trump on Tuesday faced criticism from lawmakers in
both parties after warning that North Korea would “face fire and fury like the
world has never seen” if Pyongyang keeps threatening the United States. Senate
Armed Services Chairman John McCain said he took exception to Trump’s comments,
warning that the President might not be able to follow through with the threats
he is making. “I take exception to the President’s comments because you’ve got
to be sure that you can do what you say you’re going to do,” the Arizona
Republican said in an interview with Phoenix radio station KTAR. “The great
leaders I’ve seen don’t threaten unless they’re ready to act and I’m not sure
President Trump is ready to act.” Trump threatens North Korea after US assesses
they have miniaturized a nuclear warhead Trump issued his warning to North
Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Tuesday during a photo op at the Trump National
Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey.
Meanwhile, “North Korea
best not make any more threats to the United States. They will be met with fire
and fury like the world has never seen… he has been very threatening beyond a
normal state. They will be met with fire, fury and frankly power the likes of
which this world has never seen before,” he said. McCain tried to be measured
with his reaction, telling KTAR it was “classic Trump.” “It’s not terrible what
he said,” McCain said. “It’s kind of the classic Trump in that he overstates
things.” But Democrats slammed Trump for a reaction they charged was
“bombastic” and “unhinged.” “President Trump is not helping the situation with
his bombastic comments,” California Sen. Dianne Feinstein said in a statement. New
York Rep. Eliot Engel, the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee,
said Trump had undermined US credibility “by drawing an absurd red line.” “Make
no mistake: North Korea is a real threat, but the President’s unhinged reaction
suggests he might consider using American nuclear weapons in response to a
nasty comment from a North Korean despot,” Engel said. And Maryland Sen. Ben
Cardin, the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, compared
Trump’s comments to rhetoric that often comes out of Pyongyang.
In addition, “President
Trump’s comments were not helpful and once again show that he lacks the
temperament and judgment to deal with the serious crisis the United States
confronts,” Cardin said. “We should not be engaging in the same kind of bluster
and provocative statements as North Korea about nuclear war.” Democratic Sen.
Chuck Schumer of New York similarly called out Trump’s comments — referring to
them as “reckless.” “We need to be firm and deliberate with North Korea, but
reckless rhetoric is not a strategy to keep America safe,” Schumer said in a
statement issued Tuesday. Guam’s Democratic Rep. Madeleine Bordallo told CNN
Tuesday night that she takes the threats from North Korea “very seriously.” “I’ve
always been very, very concerned about this,” Bordallo told CNN’s Anderson
Cooper. She added that the US military has repeatedly assured her that Guam
will be protected. CNN and The Washington Post reported Tuesday that US
intelligence analysts have assessed that North Korea has produced a
miniaturized nuclear warhead, according to multiple sources familiar with the
analysis of North Korea’s missile and nuclear program. Feinstein called on the
Trump administration to engage North Korea in “high-level dialogue without any
preconditions.”
However “Secretary
(Rex) Tillerson is already discussing the possibility of reopening talks with
our Asian partners during his current trip. In my view, diplomacy is the only
sound path forward,” she said. Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, told CNN’s Erin
Burnett that a preemptive strike against the North Korean regime would require
Congress’ approval. “The administration has done a good job up until now
working closely with the Congress on their broader strategy. But we’re going to
play an important role here,” Sullivan said Tuesday night. Sullivan noted that
if North Korea were to attack the US, “the President, as commander in chief,
has more authority to react to that.” Abraham Denmark, a former deputy
assistant secretary of Defense for East Asia, said the mixed messages coming
from the Trump administration were problematic because they could create
confusion for both allies and adversaries. “Our adversaries and our allies are
getting very mixed messages from the Trump administration, and this is why you
need to have experienced people in government,” he said. “This is why diplomacy
requires more than a Twitter account and some bravado — you need to have real
experienced diplomats coordinating all these messages.”
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