Politico:
Senators were alarmed by a Trump administration presentation Wednesday at the White House complex about the dangers of North Korea, though lawmakers in both parties said it was unclear what the president’s next action against the combative nation will be.
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Defense Secretary James Mattis, who led the session, did not divulge whether the United States is considering military options against North Korea after recent weapons tests and military activities were conducted by the regime of Kim Jong Un. And senators said officials did not discuss putting North Korea back on the list of nations that sponsor terrorism, as some lawmakers want.
“There’s so many options that we need to be taking that are a long ways away from a strike,” said Sen. Cory Gardner (R-Colo.), who is urging the administration to sanction Chinese officials that do business with North Korea. “I have supported putting North Korea back as a state sponsor of terror … no indication yet from the administration.”
President Donald Trump spoke for a few minutes at the classified briefing, according to senators and aides. His comments, said an attendee, were “long at the 30,000 foot, short on the specifics.” Though the session was classified, everything said was already public, the person said.
