Sean Duffy praises Trump’s policy on North Korea, says past policy was ‘path to World War III’

Rep. Sean Duffy rebuked critics of President Trump’s strategy in North Korea on Monday, saying it was past failures that led the U.S. to this point.

“What I think was setting up on the path to World War III is past presidents who’ve turned a blind eye to North Korea building a nuclear weapon and advancing their technology for an intercontinental ballistic missile,” Mr. Duffy, Wisconsin Republican, said on CNN.

Mr. Duffy was responding to comments by Sen. Bob Corker, Tennessee Republican, to the New York Times that Mr. Trump was putting the U.S. “on a path to World War III.”

He also praised Mr. Trump’s response to North Korea saying that U.S. action was necessary after years of diplomacy.

“If you want war, sit back and do nothing with a rogue regime as they develop technology that can destroy the world,” Mr. Duffy said. “This is President Trump finally being the adult in the room saying we have to address this.

“The appeasement of past presidents has been a failure of a strategy,” he added.

The president has been heavily criticized for his response to North Korea on social media, with Mr. Corker accusing him of treating potential nuclear war like a reality show. Supporters of the president say his direct response to the situation is an advancement of past policy.