President Donald Trump gathered the Senate (upper house of parliament) to the White House two days ago to discuss a confidential crusade about the crisis with North Korea from its administration - but the senators were not too impressed. "I was not sure I would have organized today's briefing, but I appreciate it - you know, they've put together a great team," diplomatic senator Bob Corker from the Republican Party said.
The White House did not explain its policy towards North Korea
The prominent Republican senator and frequent critic of President Trump John Mccain told CNN that "he did not hear anything new because he was already heavily frustrated earlier." He added that this was "a very serious situation, as he already knew before he went there."
An unnamed Republican senator complained to the Washington Post journalist that the White House "did not offer any clear answers about its policy towards North Korea and their testing of intercontinental ballistic missiles." Other senators, especially those from the Democratic Party, were even more engaged in criticism.
"I was still confused why the entire Senate had to be brought to the White House instead of doing it here," Senator Richard Blumenthal said, referring to the Capitol on which the Senate and Congress were located.
Play for the public
"It seemed to me that it was a play for the public. I seriously think that all of this information could be gathered by reading newspapers," democratic senator Tammy Duckworth commented. Senator Chris Coons also said that "no military options were presented to them," although the briefing was "nauseating." Senator John Martin told the New York Times that Trump also participated in a briefing conducted by Defense Minister James Mattis, Foreign Minister Rex Tillerson, Chief of Joint Military Command Joseph Dunford, and Director of the National Intelligence Society Dan Coats.
Senator Chris Murphy, named the briefing as "an opportunity for Trump's administration to show that it is serious", CNN writes.
Donald Trump said that a major conflict with North Korea is a possibility due to its nuclear and missile program, but he said he would prefer a diplomatic solution to the dispute.
"There is a possibility of a big, big conflict with North Korea.
Absolutely," Trump said in an interview wit Reuters. However, he added that he wanted to calm the crisis that had burdened several US presidents. He also said that he and his administration started preparing a series of new economic sanctions, but that the military option was not excluded. "We would like to solve the matter diplomatically, but it is very difficult," Trump said.
