Now that the first 100 days of President Trump's term have soared behind us and the dust has somewhat cleared, attention from both the public and world leaders have turned to North Korea. It is a country that has declared itself, on many occasions, to be in the possession of missiles that are capable of carrying nuclear warheads to the United States' western coast.
A harsh critic of former President Obama, Trump vowed that he would deal with the nuisance of North Korea differently than his predecessor did, advertising a more harsh and controlling policy.
Is he honoring his promise after his first few 100 days in the White House?
Different policy, same result
Before he even sat in the office, Donald Trump promised to "tighten the screws" on United States relations with North Korea after having blamed Obama for the country's nuclear capability. The Trump Administration has repeatedly called out North Korea's most influential ally, China, for doing "little to help" in the fight to help ease the neighboring country off nuclear war ideas.
Trump has made it no secret that he is in favor of quick militaristic action when dealing with reckless leader Kim Jong Un, while many would say Obama preferred patient sanctions that attempted to prohibit the nuclear development.
President Trump's blatant calling-out of China and call for military action does indeed bring contrast to Obama's more tolerant dealings with the two countries that sometimes led to China's receiving the upper hand over the Untied States in economics.
Although Trump's harsh rhetoric towards both China and North Korea differs from Obama's scheme, not much has changed.
The threats of nuclear war from leader Kim Jong Un have become so common that they are now considered nearly mainstream in bordering countries like South Korea.
Not backing down
Even if the different approach from President Trump does not alter the situation as he had hoped, do not expect the Trump Administration to step away from their goal of tightening the grip on trigger-happy Kim Jong Un.
Current Secretary of State and former Exxon CEO Rex Tillerson has been the main spokesman of Trump's harsher approach to dealing with North Korea, claiming that the United States needs to "further isolate" Pyongyang in order to halt its nuclear program. Vice President Mike Pence has also stated that the "era for strategic patience" was over and that the President will consider "all options."
What has it changed?
Hardly anything. While these decisive notions from the White House may differ from the Obama Administration's trying to flood China and its neighbors with sanctions, the results between the two have so far been more or less identical and will most likely remain in that exact state.
