Trump 'will take action' to end any North Korea threat to US: top security adviser

National security adviser said Trump won't allow North Korea threat to continue.

ByABC News
April 16, 2017, 9:07 AM

— -- Hours after North Korea paraded its weaponry and attempted a missile launch, President Trump's national security adviser said the U.S. leader will not allow Kim Jong Un’s regime to have the capacity to threaten the U.S.

"While it's unclear and we do not want to telegraph in any way how we'll respond to certain incidents, it's clear that the president is determined not to allow this kind of capability to threaten the United States," Lt. Gen. H. R. McMaster told ABC News' Martha Raddatz in an exclusive interview on "This Week" Sunday. "Our president will take action that is in the best interest of the American people."

North Korea rolled out ballistic missiles and other weaponry at a huge parade Saturday and later in the day, at 5:21 p.m. ET, made a failed attempt to shoot off a missile, which exploded immediately after launch.

McMaster said the launch "fits a pattern of provocative and destabilizing and threatening behavior on the part of the North Korean regime."

"I think there's an international consensus now, including the Chinese and the Chinese leadership, that this is a situation that just can't continue. And the president has made clear that he will not accept the United States and its allies and partners in the region being under threat from this hostile regime with nuclear weapons," said McMaster, who spoke from Kabul, Afghanistan.

President Trump tweeted Thursday that he has "great confidence" in China's ability to "properly deal with North Korea."

But the president's tweet indicated an openness to U.S. intervention if China doesn't deal with the nuclear threat posed by the isolated country.

"If they are unable to do so, the U.S., with its allies, will!" the president said.

And Sunday morning, Trump tweeted in defense of his decision not to label China a currency manipulator, saying "they are working with us on the North Korean problem."

McMaster told Raddatz that he is working with U.S. allies and China to develop a "range of options" for President Trump to respond if North Korea refuses to end its nuclear program.

"We're working together with our allies and partners and with the Chinese leadership to develop a range of options and the president has asked the National security council to integrate the efforts of the Department of Defense, State, our intelligence agencies, so we can provide options and have them ready for him if this pattern of destabilizing behavior continues," he said.

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