Former Secretary of State John Kerry said in a new interview airing Monday that President Donald Trump "has given North Korea a reason" to obtain and hold on to nuclear weapons.
CNN's Christiane Amanpour spoke with Kerry, who served as America's top diplomat while the former Obama administration pursued a policy of "strategic patience" with Pyongyang. Trump declared Monday in Japan that the "era of strategic patience is over" regarding Washington's stance toward the North Korean regime.
"I think the rhetoric to date has frankly stepped over the line with respect to the messages that are being sent," Kerry said. "It's given North Korea a reason to say, ‘Hey, we need a bomb, because if we don't have a bomb we're going to not be able to protect ourselves and they'll come after us [sic].'"
Kerry then argued that the U.S. needs to engage in more dialogue with North Korea, saying it is "not going to be easy" but must be pursued.
