Trump says military ‘locked and loaded’ if North Korea refuses to yield
Reporting from washington — President Trump on Friday released another provocative statement aimed at North Korea, tweeting “military solutions are now fully in place, locked and loaded, should North Korea act unwisely.”
“Hopefully Kim Jong Un will find another path!”
Trump’s comments, at least some of which have not been scripted with his foreign policy team, have alarmed many allies and members of the foreign policy community, who have expressed concern about enflaming a volatile situation with an unpredictable nuclear foe.
Trump has not been deterred. He appears to be pursuing a carrot-and-stick approach, hoping his sharp language, contrasted with more conciliatory words from his Cabinet, will cow Kim.
So far, the language has only met with increasingly charged language from Pyongyang, which has threatened to attack Guam, the American territory in the Pacific that is home to a large military base.
Essential Washington: Full coverage of the Trump administration »
Get the L.A. Times Politics newsletter
Deeply reported insights into legislation, politics and policy from Sacramento, Washington and beyond. In your inbox three times per week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
