In Japan, Trump shrugs off North Korea’s ‘small’ missiles

TOKYO: Seemingly contradicting his national security adviser, President Donald Trump on Sunday played down North Korea’s recent missile tests and said they were not a concern for him.
The comments tweeted during his trip to Japan were sure to unnerve leaders of the US ally that, unlike America, is threatened by short-range weapons from its Asian neighbour.
The remarks were the latest example of Trump’s willingness to publicly undermine his senior advisers, flout democratic norms and side with totalitarian leaders.
“North Korea fired off some small weapons, which disturbed some of my people, and others, but not me,” Trump tweeted. “Some” of his “people” appear to include national security adviser John Bolton, who told reporters at a briefing on Saturday that a series of short-range missile tests by North Korea this month violated of UN Security Council resolutions. “There is no doubt about that,” said Bolton, citing the May 4 and May 9 tests that ended a pause in launches that began in late 2017.
Trump ignored a shouted question on Sun day about whether he agreed with Bolton’s assessment. Unlike several other leaders in the region, Abe has yet to meet with Kim, leaving Japan to rely on the US as an intermediary and advocate with North Korea.
Trump in his tweet said he had “confidence that Chairman Kim will keep his promise to me,” while at the same time embracing Kim’s recent attacks on Biden. Trump said he “smiled” when Kim “called Swamp man Joe Bidan a low IQ individual, & worse.” “Perhaps that’s sending me a signal?” the president asked.
North Korea this week past called Biden a “fool of low IQ” and an “imbecile bereft of elementary quality as a human being” after Biden accused Trump of cozying up to “dictators and tyrants” such as Kim and Russian President Putin during his campaign launch speech. Biden’s campaign is yet to comment on Trump’s tweet