Guam’s Republican governor, Eddie Calvo, on Thursday praised President Trump’s “fire and fury” warning to North Korea, saying he wants a president who speaks sternly to America’s enemies.
North Korea issued a statement Wednesday saying it would develop a plan by mid-August to launch four missiles near the U.S. Pacific territory of Guam. The threat came one day after Mr. Trump warned North Korea that it would be met with “fire and fury” unlike the world had ever seen.
Appearing on Fox News’ “Tucker Carlson Tonight,” Mr. Calvo said he appreciates the tough rhetoric by Mr. Trump, but warned against threatening a nuclear war.
“As far as I’m concerned, as an American citizen, I want a president that says that if any nation such as North Korea attack Guam, attack Honolulu, attack the west coast, they will be met with hell and fury,” the governor said.
But Mr. Calvo took issue with a recent statement by Sen. Lindsey Graham, who said, “if there was going to be a war, it would be in the [Pacific] region, not in America.”
“War is the last option,” Mr. Calvo said, mentioning the hundreds of thousands of Americans currently in Micronesia and Polynesia.
Mr. Calvo said he’s been encouraging citizens not to panic and to go about their lives like they would any other day.
He issued a special address on Wednesday saying currently, “there is no threat to our island or the Marianas.”
“My Homeland Security adviser, who is in communications with Homeland Security and the Department of Defense, notes there is no change in the threat level resulting from North Korea events,” he said.
He said the island is ready and able to respond to an attack if that time should come.
“An attack or threat on Guam is a threat or attack on the United States,” he said.
• Jessica Chasmar can be reached at jchasmar@washingtontimes.com.
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