Donald Trump has been accused of stoking tensions with North Korea - again - with his latest claims that “only one thing will work” in dealing with Pyongyang.
The US President claimed on social media on Saturday that attempts by previous White House administrations to talk to North Korea had proved fruitless, “making fools of US negotiators”.
He did not make clear what he was referring to, but his comments appeared to be suggesting that he was considering military action.
Trump’s latest Twitter rant comes after the 71-year-old said the US would “totally destroy” North Korea if necessary to protect itself and its allies from Kim Jong Un’s nuclear threats.
During a meeting with top US military leaders and their spouses earlier this week, Trump told reporters it was the “calm before the storm.” Asked for clarification then on what he meant, Trump said: “You’ll find out.”
Speaking to reporters on Saturday ahead of a trip to North Carolina, Trump said he had nothing more to clarify.
White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders referred to Iran and North Korea the following day when asked about Trump’s “calm before the storm” comments.
Asked on Saturday about Trump’s tweet, Sanders said she had nothing to add to the president’s comments.
Trump’s latest tweets on North Korea sparked concern on social media, with some pointing to the flippancy in his comments and others calling him “the most dangerous man in the world”.
The fact that North Korea has not bombed the US in 25 year was proof the actions of past American presidents “has worked”, others said.
Democratic congressman and US veteran Ted Lieu said that the only thing that could ease tensions between the US and North Korea was Trump’s resignation.
The 45th US president has repeatedly made clear his distaste for dialogue with North Korea.
On Sunday he dismissed the idea of talks as a waste of time, a day after Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Washington was maintaining open lines of communication with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s government.
Trump said on Saturday that he had a good relationship with his secretary of state despite some disagreements.
“We have a very good relationship. We disagree on a couple of things. Sometimes I’d like him to be a little bit tougher, but other than that we have a very good relationship,” he said.
North Korea’s nuclear weapons and missile programs have driven up tensions in the region and around the world in recent months, particularly after it conducted a test explosion of what it said was a hydrogen bomb.