The United States has tried to be patient with North Korea for 25 years now, but the strategy has led to a country that is just shy of developing an intercontinental ballistic missile, a Republican congressman told Cheddar. Illinois Representative Adam Kinzinger said that after having lunch with President Donald Trump, he is confident that the U.S. is now moving in the right direction. “When you use diplomacy against an adversary, the only way it really works is with a credible military threat behind it, ”Kinzinger said. Trump, who’s currently on a multi-nation trip to Asia, has made his intent to denuclearize North Korea clear. According to the White House, this is one of the goals of his trip. “President Trump will stress the United States’ commitment to the complete, verifiable, and permanent denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and will call on all responsible nations to act now to ensure that the North Korean regime cannot threaten the world with nuclear devastation,” the White House reports. Kinsinger maintains, however, that while Trump “gets” how to deal with North Korea and previously emphasized the importance of having a strong military threat, the president is now looking to exhaust all viable options before resorting to military action. With this Indo-Pacific trip, Trump is sending a dual message to both North Korea and the country's allies and adversaries, Kinzinger said. “To our friends: hey, join us in trying to make sure that North Korea does not get a nuclear weapon; it’s in all of our interests,” he said. “To our adversaries: why don’t you join us to help us ensure this as well.”
