Trump on North Korea: ‘Nobody’s safe’
President Trump, in an interview with Fox News’ Eric Bolling set to air Monday on the premiere of “The Fox News Specialists,” said “nobody’s safe” amid mounting tensions with North Korea.
As Trump weighs his options for trying to blunt Pyongyang’s nuclear advancements, Bolling asked how safe U.S. troops along the demilitarized zone and South Korea allies are at this time.
“Nobody’s safe. I mean, who’s safe? The guy’s got nuclear weapons,” Trump responded. “I’d like to say they’re very safe. These are great brave solders, these are great brave troops and they know the situation. We have 28,000 troops on the line and they’re right there. And so nobody’s safe. We’re probably not safe over here.”
Trump added, “If he gets the long-range missiles, we’re not safe either.”
The Trump administration, Congress and the international community continue to consider multiple options for cooling the tensions with North Korea, not the least of which is Trump’s bid to court China to exert pressure on Pyongyang.
On Capitol Hill, the House plans to debate and vote on a new North Korea sanctions bill early this week. Trump and his advisers have indicated that military action is not off the table, though.
While the North Korea situation stands as perhaps Trump’s most pressing international concern, he is looking to notch legislative achievements in Washington on health care and tax reform — two goals that eluded him during his first 100 days.
Asked whether he could get health care passed, after an initial bill failed in March, Trump told Bolling, “I’m doing the best I can.”
He said the latest plan, which could come for a vote as early as this week, is an improvement.
“The one mistake I made with the health care. You know, we have one plan that’s going through. It’s been getting better and better and better and someone said ‘the people voting for Trump aren’t getting good … they’re gonna get the greatest!’” Trump said. “These are the greatest people. We’re either gonna have a great plan or I’m not signing it. And I’ve said from day one, the best thing I could do is let ObamaCare die and then come in with a plan.”
