<p class="p1">Arizona Republican Rep. <a shape="rect" class="memberLink" title="Click to view member info in a new window" href="https://data.rollcall.com/members/3717?rel=memberLink" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Trent Franks</a> of Arizona blamed former Democratic presidents Bill Clinton and <a shape="rect" class="memberLink" title="Click to view member info in a new window" href="https://data.rollcall.com/members/7612?rel=memberLink" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Barack Obama</a> for nuclear threats from North Korea.</p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">Speaking on the KTAR News show “Mac & Gaydos,” Franks <span class="s2">said</span> that President Donald Trump’s remarks that North Korea will be met with “fire and fury” <a shape="rect" href="https://ktar.com/story/1688566/arizona-congressman-franks-wants-space-based-defense-to-nuclear-threats/">was a sign of change from Democratic presidents</a>.</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">“We had 11 missile tests under <a shape="rect" class="memberLink" title="Click to view member info in a new window" href="https://data.rollcall.com/members/7612?rel=memberLink" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Barack Obama</a> with four nuclear tests. Under Bill Clinton, they negotiated the ‘Agreed Framework,’ they called it, and it was the most gutless, fuzzy, non-specific, non-agreement really that you can imagine,” he said. </span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">Franks said he didn’t know the intent of Trump’s words, but said it could be a good deterrent against North Korea.</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">“Maybe (Trump) doesn’t speak diplomat, but I think the North Koreans understand that there’s no advantage for them to attack this country with the nuclear capability now because there won’t be enough left of their country for a dog to find if they do attack us,” Franks said. </span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">Franks said he is pushing legislation for a space-based missile defense system.</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">“We have to make our enemies know that there is no gain, that there’s no plus, that there’s no upside in attacking the United States of America and a space-based missile defense capability would be a critical component to that equation,” he said.</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">The president’s remarks came in light of a <a shape="rect" href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/north-korea-now-making-missile-ready-nuclear-weapons-us-analysts-say/2017/08/08/e14b882a-7b6b-11e7-9d08-b79f191668ed_story.html?utm_term=.bab2335ec230"><span class="s2">report </span></a>from the Washington Post that North Korea was capable of a nuclear strike against the United States.</span></p><div id="cqrcPostAdditional"></div>
