The White House refused to explain on Friday what Donald Trump meant the previous evening when he appeared to forecast a military conflict somewhere in the world.
The president told reporters Thursday night that a jovial photo-op with his top generals could represent ‘the calm before the storm.’
Friday afternoon during an event with American manufacturers, Trump was asked what he had meant.
‘You’ll find out,’ he said, winking.
An hour later during a press briefing his spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders insisted that ‘you’ll have to wait and see.’
Donald Trump refused on Friday to clarify what he meant Thursday night when he said a jovial meeting with his top general could be ‘the calm before the storm’
‘You’ll find out!’ Trump told reporters with a wink when they asked what ‘storm he had been talking aobut
White House press secretary Sarah Sanders insisted Trump wasn’t trying to sow confusion but won’t telegraph his military moves in advance
Trump created a ‘calm before the storm’ storm after discussing Iran and North Korea with U.S. military leaders at the White House
Sanders said that while Trump’s words are vague, he’s not trying to sow confusion.
‘I wouldn’t say necessarily that he’s trying to throw people off, but he’s not trying to broadcast or telegraph his exact actions,’ she said. ‘I think we’ve seen what a failure it is when an administration does that.’
Sanders cautioned that Trump ‘certainly doesn’t want to lay out his game plan for our enemies.’
But she also refused to say which to which enemy the president had issued his cryptic warning.
‘We’ve got a lot of bad actors in the world: North Korea, Iran, there’s several examples there,’ she said, adding that ‘I haven’t been specific about anything.’
The president created endless speculation by appearing to suggest that the U.S. could soon be embroiled in a military conflict
Before Trump created a national ‘calm before the storm’ storm, he had been discussion with top defense officials the threat from North Korea how to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.
‘In North Korea, our goal is denuclearization,’ he said.
‘We cannot allow this dictatorship to threaten our nation or our allies with unimaginable loss of life. We will do what we must do to prevent that from happening. And it will be done, if necessary, believe me.’
During his speech to the United Nations General Assembly last month, Trump said the United States would ‘totally destroy’ North Korea if needed to defend itself or U.S. allies.
During his speech to the United Nations General Assembly last month, Trump said the United States would ‘totally destroy’ North Korea if needed to defend itself or US allies. North Korean ruler Kim Jong-un is seen in the above file photo taken on September 29, 2017
The president on Thursday also had tough words for Iran, saying the country had not lived up to the spirit of an agreement forged with world powers to curb its nuclear program. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani is seen above talking to reporters in Tehran on May 22, 2017
The president on Thursday also had tough words for Iran, saying the country had not lived up to the spirit of an agreement forged with world powers to curb its nuclear program.
A senior administration official said on Thursday that Trump was expected to announce soon he would decertify the landmark agreement.
Trump has filled top posts within his administration with military generals, including his chief of staff, retired General John Kelly, and national security adviser, Lieutenant General H.R. McMaster.
McMaster, who normally dresses in civilian clothes at the White House, wore his uniform for the meeting.
Without being specific, Trump pressed the leaders to be faster at providing him with ‘military options’ when needed.
‘Moving forward, I also expect you to provide me with a broad range of military options, when needed, at a much faster pace.
‘I know that government bureaucracy is slow, but I am depending on you to overcome the obstacles of bureaucracy,’ he said during their cabinet room meeting.