Mike Rounds says he’s unsure how Trump’s language toward North Korea will ‘play out’

Sen. Mike Rounds said Monday he’s not sure how President Trump’s language toward North Korea will “play out.”

“We’ll let the president speak for himself and the direction he’s going. Is it the language I would use? No, but the president is elected. He’s the one who is laying out a focus. We still go back to what his actions are, and his actions have been consistent,” Mr. Rounds, South Dakota Republican, said on MSNBC.

“The irritations that this president may very well be sending to their leader may get his attention, may frustrate him, and we’re not sure how that’s going to play out,” he said.

Mr. Trump has referred to North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un as “rocket man” and “little rocket man” both on social media and in his speech to the United Nations last week. North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho said Friday that firing rockets on the U.S. is “inevitable.”

Mr. Rounds, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said that the U.S. remains committed to diplomacy over military action and that the increased sanctions from countries across the globe will make a difference. He did say, however, that if military force is necessary, North Korea will be on the losing side.

“North Korea will feel these sanctions,” Mr. Rounds said. “If we get into a fighting war, it probably means the end of North Korea.”