Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Sunday said that “diplomatic efforts” with North Korea will “continue until the first bomb drops,” regardless of President Donald Trump’s remarks appearing to indicate otherwise.
“He wants this solved diplomatically. He is not seeking to go to war,” Tillerson said on CNN’s “State of the Union.”
“He has made it clear to me to continue my diplomatic efforts, which we are,” he added. “As I’ve told others, those diplomatic efforts will continue until the first bomb drops.”
Earlier in October, Trump advised Tillerson via Twitter that he was “wasting his time trying to negotiate with” North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
“Save your energy Rex,” he tweeted. “We’ll do what has to be done!”
Tillerson says Trump wants diplomacy in N. Korea: "Diplomatic efforts will continue until the first bomb drops" https://t.co/es8NqLurrJ
— CNN (@CNN) October 15, 2017