President Donald Trump on Friday downplayed North Korea’s missile tests that took place the day before, saying he wasn’t surprised by the short range launches and shrugging off the volatile nation’s warning to South Korea.
Despite North Korea calling the tests a “solemn warning” to its southern neighbors, Trump argued to reporters in the Oval Office that he didn’t view the incident as a setback to potential nuclear talks with leader Kim Jong Un because “many people have those missiles.”
“Well you said it — they’re short-range missiles and my relationship is very good with Chairman Kim, and we’ll see what happens,” he said during an impromptu gathering. “They’re short range missiles, and many people have those missiles.”
A reporter then said the president didn’t sound surprised by the tests, to which Trump responded: “Not at all.”
The Associated Press reported that North Korea called the tests a “solemn warning” targeted at “South Korean military warmongers.” Though Pyongyang pointedly avoided calling out the U.S., the test of “a new type of tactical guided weapon” came as the U.S. and South Korea planned to hold joint military drills in the region.
But the president brushed off those concerns, as well, asserting that they weren’t his problem.
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“Well, he didn’t say a warning to the United States, I can tell you that. He didn’t send a warning to the United States,” he said, pointing out that North and South Korea have had disputes “for a long time.”
“But he didn’t say that, but they’re short range missiles — and very standard missiles,” he concluded.
Trump made a similar assessment in an interview Thursday with Fox News’ Sean Hannity, arguing that at least the North Koreans aren’t conducting nuclear missile tests. But his apparent lack of concern is a break with his State Department.
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Trump shrugs off North Korea’s latest missile tests https://t.co/ZEmv3Bri2x
— POLITICO (@politico) July 27, 2019
I don't know about you, but I'm pretty tired of all the winning. https://t.co/ovtU0glnYB
— Rick Wilson (@TheRickWilson) July 26, 2019
Who cares about SK, our friend and ally? SK and our other allies in the region should realize by now that Trump is throwing them under the bus. He doesn’t care that NK has the potential to destroy them. After all, Trump and Kim are buds.
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