As North Korea tests another missile, the White House issues a weak statement, and the secretary of state is silent
After declaring on Sunday that he would solve the North Korean crisis if China does not, President Donald Trump’s White House responded to another North Korean test with a vague threat.
A senior White House official told reporters on Tuesday that “the clock has now run out, and all options are on the table,” according to a report by CNN.
The official also said that the situation in North Korea is a “matter of urgent interest for the president and the administration as a whole.” Options being considered include making existing economic sanctions more severe (perhaps even including Chinese businesses that continue to operate with North Korea), employing cyberattacks against North Korea or even engaging in military action.
On Tuesday, North Korea managed to launch a ballistic missile off the coast of the Korean Peninsula, which fell into the Sea of Japan. This occurred only days before Trump’s anticipated Mar-a-Lago meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Trump has been critical of North Korea, but his rhetoric before entering the White House was a lot stronger than what was released Tuesday.
North Korea just stated that it is in the final stages of developing a nuclear weapon capable of reaching parts of the U.S. It won't happen!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 2, 2017
Obama is now warning North Korea on the Yongbyon nuclear reactor http://t.co/8z0K4ULGuy After Syria, our enemies are laughing!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 13, 2013
Where is the President? It is time for him to come on TV and show strength against the repeated threats from North Korea — and others.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 12, 2013
North Korea is reliant on China. China could solve this problem easily if they wanted to but they have no respect for our leaders.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 30, 2013
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson cryptically responded by saying that “the United States has spoken enough about North Korea” and offering no additional comment.
Secretary Tillerson: The United States has spoken enough about North Korea. We have no further comment. https://t.co/ccVPjWTWdX
— Department of State (@StateDept) April 5, 2017
Trump’s rhetoric was seen as an example of weak leadership on Twitter, where users mocked the president for being less than assertive in the face of escalating threats.
Of course, the irony of today’s Trump foreign policy is that he is bluffing on North Korea while trashing Obama’s dumb “red line” on Syria.
— Blake Hounshell (@blakehounshell) April 5, 2017
US on North Korea missile launch: "no…comment"
…Is Trump already tired of winning that we're leading from behind??pic.twitter.com/7liB0iSHW2— The Tylt (@TheTylt) April 5, 2017
I’m assuming that in an early morning tweet Trump will remind Syria and North Korea about his Electoral College victory.
— Harold Itzkowitz (@HaroldItz) April 5, 2017
[Trump tweets about Hillary and the election almost every day since he won]
We've spoken enough about North Korea. pic.twitter.com/OtVvyfOQU5— The Volatile Mermaid (@OhNoSheTwitnt) April 5, 2017
Originally from Salon.com