A University of Georgia expert weighs in on rising tensions between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
President Donald Trump is not backing down from his stance on North Korea. On Thursday Trump warned the nation’s government to “get their act together.” That, says University of Georgia Profession Andrew Owsiak, is unusual.
“When we look at the rhetoric that’s coming now from the White House, more inflammatory than it’s been in a long time,” according to Owsiak.
He says it’s normal for a new president to find his way, like George W. Bush did and Obama did. The problem, he points out, is a lack of consistency among the players.
“I’m not sure his advisors are unified. The State Department and the White House are saying different things, the Department of Defense is saying a slightly different thing and when actors in the international arena see an inconsistent message, they actually don’t know what your policy really is and so they don’t really what to expect, and when they don’t what to expect, they can’t change their behavior accordingly.”
Tensions have been building in the wake of new missile tests by North Korea and have intensified after the UN Security Council on Saturday passed sweeping new sanctions Trump had requested.