Montana Senator Steve Daines just returned from a visit to South Korea where he toured the demilitarized zone between North and South Korea.

Daines appeared on Fox News with anchor Bill Hemmer, who asked the Montana Senator about his view of the latest crisis with the North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un.

“It’s very clear being on the ground in South Korea and then standing near the DMZ and the border between North and South Korea, of the grave threat that the North Korean regime presents to the United States, as well as the entire world,” Daines began. “After speaking with commanders on the ground, both the U.S. and South Korean military are unified in their resolve. Why is that important? There Are 25 million people living in Seoul, just 35 miles from the North Korean border. North Koreans can launch artillery and hit Seoul within seconds. There are 300,000 Americans in Seoul and over 30,000 military personnel.”

Daines outlined what South Korea faces every day.

“The North Koreans have an extensive chemical weapons stockpile, and so this is a very complicated situation,” he said. “That’s why it’s so important to put all the economic pressure possible in North Korea for a peaceful solution and de-nuclearization of the peninsula.”

North Korea has threatened to shoot down American bombers, even over international waters, due to a perceived threat from President Donald Trump.

“The claim from North Korea is absolutely absurd,” Daines continued. “I lived in China in the 1990’s when then-President Clinton made the deal with North Korea. Our policies in both Democratic and Republican administrations have failed. I wholeheartedly agree with Vice President Pence when he said that ‘the era of strategic patience is over’. All options are on the table, and we are not going to back down.”

 

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