Sen. Chris Murphy said Wednesday President Trump’s strategy on North Korea is the “worst” in American presidential history.
“It’s not surprising that our negotiations are on life support right now. President Trump is deploying what’s perhaps the worst negotiating strategy in the history of the American presidency,” Mr. Murphy, Connecticut Democrat, said on MSNBC.
Mr. Murphy, a member of the Foreign Relations Committee, was reacting to a new report from NBC News that diplomatic talks to resolve tensions with North Korea are on their “last legs,” according to one diplomat. The report said Mr. Trump’s public criticism of Secretary of State Rex W. Tillerson’s strategy with the regime has undermined talks to de-escalate the rising threat of nuclear attack.
“It’s not just that he’s out there calling this guy names,” Mr. Murphy said, referring to Mr. Trump. “It’s that he is publicly undercutting his Department of State by tweeting out that Rex Tillerson does not have his support and cannot negotiate on his behalf.”
While the senator said that Mr. Trump is correct to emphasize to the North Koreans that the U.S. has military options, he said that the president has simultaneously removed power from diplomats.
“Trump is not wrong to make it very clear to the North Koreans that we have a military option, that we can take them out if they were ever to attack, or threaten to attack us and our allies,” Mr. Murphy said. “But you’ve actually got to empower our diplomats to do the work.”
Mr. Trump plans to travel to Asia next month, but he’s not expected to visit the Demilitarized Zone between North and South Korea.
• Sally Persons can be reached at spersons@washingtontimes.com.
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