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Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice shared her thoughts on the latest North Korean provocations and President Donald Trump’s controversial remarks toward the regime’s leader, Kim Jong Un.
“I think he is reckless and maybe even a little unhinged,” said Rice, referring to Kim Jong Un. “But clearly they are, I think, trying to send a message that they are powerful, they’re strong, they can make the United States suffer, and this is not a situation any American president can ultimately tolerate.”
Asked for her thoughts on Trump’s remark that Kim Jong Un was a “a pretty smart cookie,”Rice replied: “Well, he is a smart cookie … he obviously knows what he’s doing.”
In addition to touching on the comments that were viewed as “very disturbing” by US lawmakers, Rice also discussed Trump’s openness to hold talks with the North Korean leader. To date, no sitting US president has ever held a meeting with a current leader of the Hermit Kingdom.
“Look, the president of the United States can’t meet with Kim Jong Un,”Rice said.”And certainly not under these circumstances.”
“There may come a day if North Korea gives up its nuclear weapons program … that having North Korea back into the community of states or in the community of states would be worthwhile — [we’re] clearly not there.”
Rice’s remarks come after North Korea announced that it had detained another US citizen on Sunday, a professor who worked at Pyongyang University of Science and Technology — this time on suspicion of “hostile acts” against the state, according to North Korea’s propaganda news outlet. The professor marks the fourth US citizen to be imprisoned by the regime.
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