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Hunter Calls for Preemptive Strike on North Korea

‘You could call it declaring war, call it whatever you want,’ California congressman says

Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., said the U.S. should prepare for the worst after threats from North Korea. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call file photo)
Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., said the U.S. should prepare for the worst after threats from North Korea. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call file photo)

California Rep. Duncan Hunter said the U.S should consider a preemptive strike on North Korea. 

In an interview on the radio station KSUI, the Republican who represents San Diego, said it could be assumed that Kim Jong Un’s regime had a missile aimed at San Diego, Guam or Hawaii, the San Diego Union-Tribune reported.

“The question is, do you wait for one of those? Or, two? Do you preemptively strike them,” he said. “I would preemptively strike them. You could call it declaring war, call it whatever you want.”

But Hunter did not say whether the U.S. should strike North Korea with nuclear weapons. 

Hunter also praised President Donald Trump’s remarks at the United Nations as “great” and “not wishy-washy.”

During his address to the U.N., Trump delivered an ultimatum about North Korea’s nuclear weapons, saying, “We will have no choice but to totally destroy North Korea.” 

Trump also taunted Kim, saying “Rocket Man is on a suicide mission for himself and for his regime.”

So far, many Republicans have been mum about Trump’s remarks about promising to annihilate the regime.

But Hunter said in the interview the U.S. should prepare for the worst.

“I don’t know how much more reckless (North Korean leader Kim Jong Un) needs to be and what the United States needs to see,” he said.

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