AP, TOKYOIn an apparent contradiction of his national security adviser, US President Donald Trump yesterday downplayed North Korean missile tests, saying on Twitter from Tokyo that they are not a concern for him. Trump also said that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s criticism of one of his Democratic rivals, former US vice president Joe Biden, had made him smile. Trump and other administration officials have sought to downplay the significance of the tests, insisting they do not violate an agreement Trump reached with Kim for a moratorium on launches. That raised alarm bells in Japan, where short-range missiles pose a serious threat because of the country’s proximity to North Korea. Trump said he “smiled” when Kim “called Swampman Joe Bidan a low IQ individual, & worse.”“Perhaps that’s sending me a signal?” Trump asked.

Source: Taipei Times May 26, 2019 15:56 UTC