David Ignatius: Donald Trump NK Remarks Also For China | Morning Joe

BUREAU CHIEF AND MIKA HAS THE MORNING OFF.
"THE WASHINGTON POST" CAME OUT WITH A REPORT THAT SAYS A U.S.
INTEL ASSESSMENT BELIEVES NORTH KOREA NOW HAS THE ABILITY TO
MINIATURIZE A NUCLEAR WEAPON AND ATTACH IT TO A MISSILE.
HOWEVER, ACCORDING TO A U.S. OFFICIAL BRIEFED ON THE
INTELLIGENCE, IT DOES NOT BELIEVE PYONGYANG HAS A
NUCLEAR-TIPPED ICBM. HERE IT IS AGAIN.
>> 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.
HE HAS BEEN VERY THREATENING BEYOND A NORMAL STATEMENT.
THEY WILL BE MET WITH FIRE, FURY AND FRANKLY POWER, THE LIKES OF
WHICH THIS WORLD HAS NEVER SEEN BEFORE.
>> HOURS AFTER PRESIDENT TRUMP'S WARNING, NORTH KOREA STATE MEDIA
ANNOUNCED THE REGIME IS SERIOUSLY CONSIDERING TO STRIKE
THE U.S. TERRITORY OF GUAM DEVELOPING FIRE AROUND THE AREA.
GUAM IS HOME TO ANDRE AIR FORCE BASE.
IT'S JUST RHETORIC BUT IT'S MORE SPECIFIC RHETORIC THAN WE'VE
HEARD IN THE PAST. >> IT'S THE SORT OF RHETORIC
WE'VE GROWN TO EXPECT FROM NORTH KOREA.
IT'S NOT, THOUGH, WHAT WE EXPECT FROM ANY OF OUR PRESIDENTS,
PRESIDENTS OF THE UNITED STATES. DAVID IGNATIUS, I KNOW PEOPLE
WERE THROWING AROUND EXAMPLES IN THE PAST WHERE BILL CLINTON OR
SOMEBODY ELSE MAY HAVE SAID SOMETHING ABOUT STRIKES TO NORTH
KOREA BUT NOTHING TO THIS DEGREE.
AGAIN, GOING BACK TO WHAT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT A YEAR AGO,
THERE IT BEEN SOME CONCERN IN THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY AND
AMONG FOREIGN POLICY EXPERTS THAT DONALD TRUMP MIGHT TAKE
EXTREME MEASURES IF ELECTED PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES.
ONE OF MY CHILDREN CALLED ME YESTERDAY AND SAID YOU WERE
CONCERNED ABOUT THIS LAST YEAR. WELL, LAST YEAR WE DIDN'T KNOW
HE WOULD WIN AND THIS IS VERY, VERY FRIGHTENING.
DAVID, TELL US WHAT YOU'RE HEARING AND HEARING FROM OTHERS
OVERSEAS. >> THIS CRISIS WHICH HAS BEEN
COMING AT US SLOWLY OVER MONTHS HAS JUST SPEEDED UP BIG TIME.
INTELLIGENCE REPORTS SAY THAT THE NORTH KOREAN ABILITY TO PUT
A NUCLEAR WEAPON ON TOP OF A MISSILE IS PROBABLY FARTHER
ALONG THAN WE THOUGHT EVEN A MONTH AGO.
PRESIDENT TRUMP HAS RATCHETED UP THE RHETORIC, BUT IT'S ALSO TRUE
IN THE LAST FEW WEEKS, HE HAS INCREASED EFFORTS TO DRAW CHINA
INTO THE DIPLOMACY THAT MIGHT SEEK A PEACEFUL RESOLUTION OF
THIS CRISIS. FROM EARLY IN HIS PRESIDENCY, HE
SAW BEIJING AS THE KEY TO SOME WAY OF DEALING WITH NORTH KOREA.
HE'S MADE SOME PROGRESS ON THAT. LAST WEEKEND CHINA JOINED THE
UNITED STATES IN A UNANIMOUS SECURITY COUNCIL RESOLUTION
CONDEMNING NORTH KOREA FOR ITS NUCLEAR MISSILE TESTS.
THE NORTH KOREAS HAVE REJECTED ANY POSSIBILITY OF NEGOTIATING.
THE PRESIDENT'S RHETORIC, THIS FIRE AND FURY STUFF IS AS MUCH
INTENDED TO SCARE CHINA HE MIGHT TAKE ACTION, WHICH WILL BE
DEVASTATING FOR CHINA'S REGION AS IT IS NORTH KOREA.
THE PRESIDENT WANTS CHINA TO PUT ITSELF IN BETWEEN THE U.S. AND
NORTH KOREA AS A WAY OUT OF THIS.
TO DO THAT HE THINKS HE'S GOT TO BE VERY, VERY THREATENING.
AND WHERE, DAVID, ARE HIS GENERALS, GENERAL McMASTER,
GENERAL KELLY, WHEN LOBBING SUCH BOMBS NORTH KOREA'S WAY.
>> FROM THE FIRST DAY, HIS TOP MILITARY ADVISER, STARTING WITH
SECRETARY OF DEFENSE MATTIS, HAVE BEEN WARNING THAT A
CONFLICT ON THE KOREAN PENINSULA WOULD BE AT A LEVEL OF CIVILIAN
CASUALTIES, LEVEL OF DESTRUCTION THAT THE WORLD HAS NOT SEEN, ONE
OFFICIAL SAID SINCE STALINGRAD IN WORLD WAR II, A TERRIBLE COST
IN HUMAN LIVES. THERE IS NOT A GOOD MILITARY
OPTION HERE. THAT SAID, THESE SENIOR
OFFICIALS, MAT YES, SIR, --
MATTIS, McMASTER, ARE ALL WORKING TO GIVE HIM OPTIONS, HOW
DO YOU TAKE OVER NORTH KOREA WEAPONS WITHOUT LEADING THEM TO
ATTACK, SEOUL, JUST ACROSS THE DMZ AND KILL HUNDREDS OF
THOUSANDS OF KOREANS. THAT'S THE PROBLEM THEY'RE
LOOKING AT. NO ONE SHOULD THINK THIS IS JUST
RHETORIC. THE MILITARY PLANNING IS GOING
ON RIGHT NOW. IT'S ACCELERATING IN PACIFIC
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David Ignatius: Donald Trump NK Remarks Also For China | Morning Joe | MSNBC

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