Sen. Lindsey Graham said Tuesday that President Donald Trump will not allow North Korea to develop missiles that could threaten the United States, following a dinner with the commander-in-chief Monday night.
In a tweet, the South Carolina Republican said Trump will not “let” North Korean leader Kim Jong Un — whom Graham called a “nutjob” — make a missile that could carry a nuclear weapon to the United States. Graham, a noted foreign policy hawk, did not hint at how Trump may respond to North Korea.
Graham and Republican Sen. John McCain of Arizona, another noted hawk, both attended the dinner with Trump. Graham’s office did not immediately respond to a request to comment on what they specifically discussed. McCain’s office declined to comment.
The United States, China, South Korea and Japan have aimed to curb North Korea’s nuclear ambitions, but without taking actions that could plunge the region into a conflict. Japan has sent two warships to join a U.S. aircraft carrier group that’s headed toward Korean waters, which Trump sent as a warning to Pyongyang.
Ahead of a meeting Monday with the ambassadors from United Nations Security Council member countries, Trump said the UN should prepare for the prospect of newer, tougher sanctions against North Korea. Trump said the world is wearing “blinders” when it comes to North Korea, and has done so for “decades.”
“The status quo in North Korea is also unacceptable, and the council must be prepared to impose additional and stronger sanctions on North Korean nuclear and ballistic missile programs,” he said.
Top administration national security officials plan to brief all 100 members of the U.S. Senate on Wednesday at the White House about the situation in North Korea. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis, Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats and General Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, will attend the rare White House briefing of senators, Reuters reported.