Donald Trump’s ‘fire and fury’ threat was made up on the spot: report
DONALD Trump’s threat to rain “fire and fury” down on North Korea — which sent shockwaves around the world — was reportedly made up on the spot.
DONALD Trump’s unprecedented “fire and fury” threat — which has exacerbated tensions between the US and North Korea and sent shockwaves around the world — was reportedly made up on the spot.
“North Korea best not make any more threats to the United States. They will be met with fire and fury like the world has never seen,” US President Donald Trump said from his New Jersey golf club on Tuesday.
The incendiary comment — which sparked a diplomatic firestorm and prompted a threat from North Korea to attack Guam, an island frighteningly close to Australia — was “entirely improvised”, according to The New York Times.
Citing unnamed sources “with direct knowledge of what unfolded”, the paper reported that Mr Trump had not run the inflammatory language by his advisers before the photo op.
The President had been told about a Washington Post article reporting on North Korea’s ability to place miniature nuclear warheads on ballistic missiles and was in a “bellicose mood” before the press event, according to the Times.
Mr Trump’s comments have been criticised widely, even by members of his own party.
Republican senator John McCain accused the President of making hollow threats.
“The great leaders I’ve seen don’t threaten unless they’re ready to act and I’m not sure President Trump is ready to act,” he told KTAR radio.
“It’s not terrible in what he said. It’s the classic Trump in that he overstates things.”
Democratic senator Dianne Feinstein said Mr Trump was “not helping with his bombastic comments”.
The President’s strong words, if taken literally, represent a crucial shift in military policy towards the menace of North Korea.
North Korea has repeatedly threatened to drop ballistic missiles on the US mainland. The US response has long been that an attack from the rogue state would cause it to retaliate with the full force of its considerable arsenal. But Mr Trump’s chilling adlib on Tuesday indicated that even “threats” would be “met with fire and fury and frankly power the likes of which the world has never seen”.
US defence secretary Jim Mattis issued another strong threat to the isolated nation on Wednesday, warning that its actions could bring about the “end of its regime and the destruction of its people”.
“The DPRK [Democratic People’s Republic of Korea] must choose to stop isolating itself and stand down its pursuit of nuclear weapons,” Mr Mattis said in a statement.
“The DPRK should cease any consideration of actions that would lead to the end of its regime and the destruction of its people.
“While our State Department is making every effort to resolve this global threat through diplomatic means, it must be noted that the combined allied militaries now possess the most precise, rehearsed and robust defensive and offensive capabilities on Earth.
“The DPRK regime’s actions will continue to be grossly overmatched by ours and would lose any arms race or conflict it initiates.”
Secretary of state Rex Tillerson, meanwhile, dialled back some of the war rhetoric on Wednesday.
“I think Americans should sleep well at night; have no concerns about this particular rhetoric of the last few days,” he said.
“Nothing I have seen and nothing I know of would indicate that the situation has dramatically changed in the last 24 hours.”
Meanwhile, China has cautioned both the US and North Korea against “remarks and actions that could aggravate conflicts”.
“The current situation on the Korean Peninsula is complex and sensitive,” the Chinese Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
“China call on the relevant sides to follow the broad direction of resolving the nuclear issue through political means, avoid remarks and actions that could aggravate conflicts and escalate tensions, and make a greater effort to return to the correct path of resolving the issue through dialogue and negotiations.”
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