President Trump is stepping up diplomatic and economic pressure on North Korea, and military preparations are “underway” in the event that such action is necessary, a senior administration official told reporters on Wednesday.
“What you’ve seen is a really integrated effort to prioritize diplomatic and informational aspects of national power, but also what you will see soon is using the economic dimension of national power, as well as the military preparations that are underway,” said the official, who requested anonymity.
But Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., said after a closed-door North Korea briefing for senators on the White House grounds that “preemptive strike options were not presented” to those who attended.
“The briefing showed the thoroughness and the detail and the preparation and the work that’s going into making our military appropriately postured in the event that there is some unexpected development by North Korea, and our diplomatic effort,” Coons told reporters.
“There was not specific conversation” about seeking congressional authorization for new sanctions or the use of force “or imminently needing any such authorization,” Coons said.
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