US PRESIDENT DONALD Trump has played down his own administration’s concerns over recent North Korean missile tests.
Trump, who is in Japan visiting the country’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, took to Twitter in an apparent bid to ease mounting tensions with North Korea, which conducted two missile tests after a February summit in Hanoi collapsed without agreement.
Dismissing the missiles as “some small weapons”, he said the tests had “disturbed some of my people, and others, but not me”.
One of his “people” was a reference to National Security Advisor John Bolton, who had said the previous day that there was “no doubt” the launches had contravened UN Security Council resolutions.
But Trump said: “I have confidence that Chairman Kim will keep his promise to me.”
The American president maintains that North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un had pledged he was serious about denuclearisation although experts say there is still a wide gulf between the two sides over what that means exactly.
Trump ended his tweet by insulting former Democratic Vice-President Joe Biden whom North Korea’s Kim called “a low IQ individual”, according to Trump.
North Korea fired off some small weapons, which disturbed some of my people, and others, but not me. I have confidence that Chairman Kim will keep his promise to me, & also smiled when he called Swampman Joe Biden a low IQ individual, & worse. Perhaps that’s sending me a signal?
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 26, 2019
Trump and “golf buddy” Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe teed off for a round of their favourite sport today, as the two leaders cement a close diplomatic friendship.
Aerial footage on Japanese television showed the pair practicing their swings and driving off the tee, as well as putting on the manicured greens, accompanied by former professional golfer Isao Aoki.
Abe later tweeted a selfie of the two grinning into the camera, as the pair relaxed before the formal element of Trump’s four-day trip begins tomorrow with a visit to the new emperor Naruhito with talks likely to touch on trade and North Korea.
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