“Whatever comes from the U.S., we will cope with it. We are fully prepared to handle it.”

“If the U.S. comes with reckless military maneuvers, then we will confront it with the DPRK’s (North Korea’s) pre-emptive strike. We’ve got a powerful nuclear deterrent already in our hands and we certainly will not keep our arms crossed in the face of a U.S. pre-emptive strike.” – North Korea’s Vice Foreign Minister Han Song Ryol

Reuters.com reports that

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday a major conflict with North Korea is possible in the standoff over its nuclear and missile programs, but he would prefer a diplomatic outcome to the dispute. “There is a chance that we could end up having a major, major conflict with North Korea. Absolutely,” Trump told Reuters in an Oval Office interview ahead of his 100th day in office on Saturday.

Nonetheless, Trump said he wanted to peacefully resolve a crisis that has bedeviled multiple U.S. presidents, a path that he and his administration are emphasizing by preparing a variety of new economic sanctions while not taking the military option off the table.

“We’d love to solve things diplomatically but it’s very difficult,” he said.

In other highlights of the 42-minute interview, Trump was cool to speaking again with Taiwan’s president after an earlier telephone call with her angered China. He also said he wanted South Korea to pay the cost of the U.S. THAAD anti-missile defense system, which he estimated at $1 billion.

He said he intended to renegotiate or terminate a U.S. free trade pact with South Korea because of a deep trade deficit with Seoul. Trump said he was considering adding stops to Israel and Saudi Arabia to a Europe trip next month, emphasizing he wanted to see an Israeli-Palestinian peace.

Trump said North Korea was his biggest global challenge. He lavished praise on Chinese President Xi Jinping for Chinese assistance in trying to rein in Pyongyang. The two leaders met in Florida earlier this month.

“I believe he is trying very hard. He certainly doesn’t want to see turmoil and death. He doesn’t want to see it. He is a good man. He is a very good man and I got to know him very well.

“With that being said, he loves China and he loves the people of China. I know he would like to be able to do something, perhaps it’s possible that he can’t,” Trump said.

‘I HOPE HE’S RATIONAL’

Trump spoke just a day after he and his top national security advisers briefed U.S. lawmakers on the North Korean threat and one day before Secretary of State Rex Tillerson will press the United Nations Security Council on sanctions to further isolate Pyongyang over its nuclear and missile programs.

The Trump administration on Wednesday declared North Korea “an urgent national security threat and top foreign policy priority.” It said it was focusing on economic and diplomatic pressure, including Chinese cooperation in containing its defiant neighbor and ally, and remained open to negotiations.

U.S. officials said military strikes remained an option but played down the prospect, though the administration has sent an aircraft carrier and a nuclear-powered submarine to the region in a show of force.

Any direct U.S. military action would run the risk of massive North Korean retaliation and huge casualties in Japan and South Korea and among U.S. forces in both countries.

Trump, asked if he considered North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to be rational, said he was operating from the assumption that he is rational. He noted that Kim had taken over his country at an early age.

“He’s 27 years old. His father dies, took over a regime. So say what you want but that is not easy, especially at that age.

“I’m not giving him credit or not giving him credit, I’m just saying that’s a very hard thing to do. As to whether or not he’s rational, I have no opinion on it. I hope he’s rational,” he said.

Trump, sipping a Coke delivered by an aide after the president ordered it by pressing a button on his desk, rebuffed an overture from Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen, who told Reuters a direct phone call with Trump could take place again after their first conversation in early December angered Beijing.

China considers neighboring Taiwan to be a renegade province.

“My problem is that I have established a very good personal relationship with President Xi,” said Trump. “I really feel that he is doing everything in his power to help us with a big situation. So I wouldn’t want to be causing difficulty right now for him.

“So I would certainly want to speak to him first.”

Last night, shortly after 8:00 p.m. Central, cnn.com posted the following information online…

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Thursday that China threatened the North Korean government with sanctions if it undertook another nuclear weapons test.Tillerson made his comments on Fox News ahead of a visit to the United Nations and amid rising tensions over the North Korean nuclear weapons program.

“They confirmed to us that they had requested that the regime conduct no further nuclear test,” Tillerson said of the Chinese. “In fact, we were told by the Chinese that they informed the (North Korean) regime that if they did conduct further nuclear tests, China would be taking sanctions action on their own.”

That simple action and reaction alone, is more than Barack Hussein Obama accomplished in 8 year of his failed “Smart Power” Foreign Policy.

The leader of the country formerly referred to as “Red” China, actually listed to the President of the United States of America, and sided with him, against on of his own allies.

That’s “YUGE”.

Liberal Internet and Facebook Trolls have been making unequal comparisons between the Obama’s penchant for vacationing on our dime and the Trumps spending every weekend down at the “Southern White House”, Mar-a-Lago, in Florida.

The difference between the Obama’s trips and Trump’s weekend visits is the fact that Trump OWNS Mar-a-Lago. The Obamas did not own the place they stayed in Hawaii…and certainly not anyplace in Spain that Mooch, Mudear, and the girls visited.

But, I digress…

What made President Trump’s visit with Chinese President Xi Jinping a success, was not only the fact that Trump was negotiating with the Chinese Leader from a position of strength, he was also negotiating from a position of experience.

Trump has negotiated billion dollar business deals, as has his Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson.

America know longer has Professional Politicians who can talk the talk, but have never walked the walk, negotiating for our Sovereign Nation with other World Leaders.

We actually have Men of Accomplishment, who have negotiated in critical situations IN THE REAL WORLD, negotiating to ensure that America remains strong and safe.

Refreshing, isn’t it?

Oh, one more thing…to those Liberal Internet and Facebook Trolls, who are hung up on Trump going to the Southern White House every weekend and playing golf with World Leaders: There is a difference between trump’s Golf Outings and Obama’s Golf Outings.

Trump is actually conducting the Business of America while entertaining World Leaders.

Obama was entertaining Reggie Love.

Until He Comes,

KJ