BRANCHBURG, N.J. — President Donald Trump says his chief diplomat is “wasting his time” trying to negotiate with North Korea about its nuclear and missile programs.
Trump tweets this advice to Secretary of State Rex Tillerson: “Save your energy, Rex, we’ll do what has to be done!”
The president isn’t elaborating, but he told the United Nations last month that if the U.S. is “forced to defend itself or its allies, we will have no choice but to totally destroy North Korea.”
Tillerson — while in China — said Saturday the U.S. is maintaining direct channels of communications with North Korea and probing the North’s willingness to talk.
Trump said he’s told Tillerson that “he’s wasting his time trying to negotiate with Little Rocket Man.” That’s a reference to leader Kim Jong Un.
I told Rex Tillerson, our wonderful Secretary of State, that he is wasting his time trying to negotiate with Little Rocket Man...
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 1, 2017
...Save your energy Rex, we'll do what has to be done!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 1, 2017
Being nice to Rocket Man hasn't worked in 25 years, why would it work now? Clinton failed, Bush failed, and Obama failed. I won't fail.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 1, 2017
