North Korea Testing Missiles Increases Pressure On Trump Administration

The recent missile tests carried out by North Korea could increase the pressure on President Donald Trump’s administration as he enters the re-election year, a top U.S. military official in Asia said.

Gen. Charles Q. Brown, the commander of Pacific Air Forces, believes that North Korea could launch long-range missiles as part of the “Christmas Gift” they promised to send to the U.S. Talking to reporters at a Defense Writers Breakfast in Washington Tuesday, Brown said that it is possible that North Korea would abruptly end the suspension it has placed on long-range missile testing, increasing the pressure on the Trump Administration.

Brown’s comments were confirmed by CNN with his spokesperson.

While Brown agreed North Korea launching long-range missiles was one possibility, he also stressed that U.S. was still focused on diplomacy and that North Korea, in fact, may refrain from launching anything.

However, concerns were raising in the White House as Trump gears up for the 2020 campaign amid the impeachment storm, fearing that a period of calm was coming to an end.

North Korea conducted two new missile tests this month claiming they were important for its nuclear program. Coupled with the provocations from Pyongyang, tensions have escalated between the two countries regarding this issue.

North Korea has promised to send U.S. a “Christmas Gift” based on the outcome of the nuclear talks between the two countries. While North Korea was not looking to launch an intercontinental ballistic missile before 2020, there were chances that they could ramp up their operations or launch something short range, a defense official told CNN.

While the meeting between the two leaders had brought the long range missile testing to a stop, tensions began rising again in 2017. North Korea subsequently began testing their missiles and set an all-time record in 2019 for the number of missiles it launched.

While Trump has maintained that he has a close friendship with Kim Jong Un, who shrugged off the testings, the recent provocations and barbed insults aimed at the President has increased the pressure on the administration to end the increasing hostility between the two countries.