Trump reportedly talked about using the 'nuclear football' on North Korea in 2017
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
You are now subscribed
Your newsletter sign-up was successful
President Trump went to Puerto Rico in October 2017 to see the destruction caused by Hurricane Maria. While there, he ranted and raved about North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, even talking about using the nuclear option against the country, three people who were with him told CNN Thursday.
Trump was obviously distracted, they said, and he pointed to the "nuclear football," the briefcase that can be used to authorize a nuclear attack, declaring: "This is what I have for Kim." At the time, Trump was still tweeting barbs at Kim, but since then, the pair have met twice, and Trump now says he likes Kim and they have a warm relationship.
Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rosselló would not discuss the remark with CNN on Thursday, only saying, "There were other topics that were being discussed, and my view is that the sole focus of that trip should have been on Puerto Rico." Several media outlets have reported Trump has been privately complaining about the amount of aid going to Puerto Rico, which still has not fully recovered from the 2017 hurricane. In public, though, Trump is patting himself on the back, telling reporters on Thursday that "Puerto Rico has been taken care of better by Donald Trump than by any living human being, and I think the people of Puerto Rico understand."
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
Buddhist monks’ US walk for peaceUnder the Radar Crowds have turned out on the roads from California to Washington and ‘millions are finding hope in their journey’
-
American universities are losing ground to their foreign counterpartsThe Explainer While Harvard is still near the top, other colleges have slipped
-
How to navigate dating apps to find ‘the one’The Week Recommends Put an end to endless swiping and make real romantic connections
-
Judge rejects California’s ICE mask ban, OKs ID lawSpeed Read Federal law enforcement agents can wear masks but must display clear identification
-
Lawmakers say Epstein files implicate 6 more menSpeed Read The Trump department apparently blacked out the names of several people who should have been identified
-
Japan’s Takaichi cements power with snap election winSpeed Read President Donald Trump congratulated the conservative prime minister
-
Trump sues IRS for $10B over tax record leaksSpeed Read The president is claiming ‘reputational and financial harm’ from leaks of his tax information between 2018 and 2020
-
Trump, Senate Democrats reach DHS funding dealSpeed Read The deal will fund most of the government through September and the Department of Homeland Security for two weeks
-
Fed holds rates steady, bucking Trump pressureSpeed Read The Federal Reserve voted to keep its benchmark interest rate unchanged
-
Judge slams ICE violations amid growing backlashSpeed Read ‘ICE is not a law unto itself,’ said a federal judge after the agency violated at least 96 court orders
-
Rep. Ilhan Omar attacked with unknown liquidSpeed Read This ‘small agitator isn’t going to intimidate me from doing my work’
