Advertisement - story continues below
In an interview with Forbes that was published this week, President Donald Trump revealed that he did not hold back when discussing North Korea with former President Barack Obama.
“I mean President Obama told me — sitting right there, the two of us. He said that the previous — in the meeting we had prior to my coming into the White House — he said that was his toughest decision,” Trump said.
“But I said, but you didn’t make a decision, because you didn’t do anything. You let it go on,” he added.
Advertisement - story continues below
Trump believes that previous administrations, especially Obama’s, should have dealt with the problems posed by North Korea and and its leaders’ nuclear aspirations.
He thinks that Obama’s course of action was simply to do nothing.
“I just, I feel strongly you cannot allow him to have nuclear weapons,” Trump explained, referring to current North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
Advertisement - story continues below
In the interview, Trump also addressed a tweet he posted earlier this month in which he said Secretary of State Rex Tillerson was “wasting his time” attempting diplomacy with North Korea.
“I told Rex Tillerson, our wonderful Secretary of State, that he is wasting his time trying to negotiate with Little Rocket Man,” Trump tweeted.
I told Rex Tillerson, our wonderful Secretary of State, that he is wasting his time trying to negotiate with Little Rocket Man…
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 1, 2017
Trump was asked how he can undermine the authority of his secretary of state, but Trump denied that he was doing so.
Advertisement - story continues below
“Well, I’m not undermining,” Trump replied, “I think I’m actually strengthening authority. But in the case of North Korea, they have been talking for 25 years. Obviously, that doesn’t work.”
Expressed much the same sentiment, Trump wrote on Twitter last week, “Presidents and their administrations have been talking to North Korea for 25 years, agreements made and massive amounts of money paid … hasn’t worked, agreements violated before the ink was dry, makings fools of U.S. negotiators.”
Presidents and their administrations have been talking to North Korea for 25 years, agreements made and massive amounts of money paid……
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 7, 2017
…hasn't worked, agreements violated before the ink was dry, makings fools of U.S. negotiators. Sorry, but only one thing will work!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 7, 2017
“Sorry, but only one thing will work!” he added.