Trump has no clue what to do about North Korea — and he doesn't really care

The president's disinterest in the details of his office could prove disastrous

President Trump speaks to members of the U.S. Navy.
(Image credit: Mark Wilson/Getty Images)

President Trump is headed toward a conflict with North Korea that he likely doesn't understand. It's unlikely he has any interest in understanding it, either. The president's inattention to the institutional realities of global politics and his lack of interest in the work of governing are combining for a dangerous showdown with a nuclear-armed power.

Trump announced on Tuesday afternoon that "any more threats" to the United States from North Korea would result in "fire and fury," and "power the likes of which this world has never seen before.” The president's remarks came on the heels of a Washington Post report detailing how the rogue nation has developed the technology to place a miniaturized nuclear warhead on the tip of an ICBM capable of reaching the United States.

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Eoin Higgins

Eoin Higgins is a journalist from western Massachusetts. His work has appeared in Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting, The Washington Post, The Outline, and numerous other outlets.