President Donald Trump is keeping all options on the table regarding North Korea after its most recent missile test, and he will sign the Russia sanctions bill after a regulatory review, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Tuesday.
President Donald Trump is « keeping all options on the table » regarding North Korea after its most recent missile test, and he will sign the Russia sanctions bill after a regulatory review, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Tuesday.
« The president obviously has been very outspoken about how he feels about North Korea, » she said at the daily briefing with reporters. « We’re weighing all options, keeping all options on the table — and, as we’ve said many times before, we’re not going to broadcast what we’re going to do. »
Sen. Lindsey Graham said Tuesday that war with Pyongyang was « inevitable » if it continued its missile program, after testing an ICBM last Friday that experts said could reach Los Angeles.
« You’re making the president pick between regional stability and homeland stability, » the South Carolina Republican, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, told « Today » on NBC .
« They’ve kicked the can down the road for 20 years, » he added. « There will be a war with North Korea over the missile program if they continue to try to hit America with an ICBM. »
When asked whether Graham’s option of destroying North Korea was being considered by Trump, Sanders responded: « That’s not what I’m saying.
« What I’m saying is the president has been very outspoken about the need to stop North Korea.
« We’ve been focused on stopping the nuclear program, stopping the missiles, stopping the aggression.
« That still continues to be the focus — and we’re keeping all options on the table in order to do that.
« We’re not going to broadcast movements on things like that before they take place, » she said.
She also declined to say whether the administration would increase pressure on China — only that « we’re going to continue to work with our allies, continue to work with our partners — and that Pyongyang must decide whether it is an adversary of the United States.
« In some ways, they get to decide by the actions that they take, » Sanders told reporters. « If they want to stop their nuclear program, stop the games, stop the missiles, stop the aggression, we may be able to find ways to move forward.
« But those are the priorities of this administration. »
Regarding the sanctions bill — passed by the Senate last week and slapping tough economic penalties on Moscow, Pyongyang and Iran — Sanders reiterated that Trump would sign it after it undergoes regulatory review.
Vice President Mike Pence said Tuesday in Mocow that Trump would sign the bill soon .
« There’s nothing holding him back, » she said. « There’s a review process, a legal process.
« They’re going through that and he’ll sign the bill. »
