A senior administration official who briefed reporters refused to be specific but spoke of possible economic as well as military responses.
WASHINGTON — President Trump is stepping up diplomatic and economic pressure on North Korea, and military preparations are “underway” in the event such action becomes necessary, a senior administration official told reporters on Wednesday. But Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., told the media after a closed-door White House briefing on North Korea that “preemptive strike options were not presented” to the senators there.
“The briefing showed the thoroughness and the detail and the preparation and the work that’s going into making our military appropriately postured in the event that there is some unexpected development by North Korea, and our diplomatic effort, ” Coons said.
But, he said, “there was not specific conversation” about seeking congressional authorization for new sanctions or the use of force “or imminently needing any such authorization.”
His comments came as he emerged from a briefing from top Trump national security aides in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building that is part of the White House complex, and after a senior administration official referred to military preparations during a briefing held on condition the official not be named.
“What you’ ve seen is a really integrated effort to prioritize diplomatic and informational aspects of national power, but also what you will see soon is using the economic dimension of national power, as well as the military preparations that are underway, ” the official said.
