Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., blasted President Donald Trump's method of dealing with North Korea in a Wednesday interview.
"It's not surprising that our negotiations are on life support right now. President Trump is deploying what is perhaps the worst negotiating strategy in the history of the American presidency," Murphy said on MSNBC's "Morning Joe."
The senator was referencing an NBC News report that diplomatic talks with North Korea are going poorly. The report cited Trump's criticism of Secretary of State Rex Tillerson as a reason.
"It's not just that he's out there calling this guy names," Murphy said, referring to Trump calling North Korean leader Kim Jong Un "Little Rocket Man."
"It's that he is publicly undercutting his Department of State by tweeting out that Rex Tillerson does not have his support and cannot talk and negotiate on his behalf," Murphy said in the MSNBC interview.
He said that Trump is correct to point out that the U.S. has a military option.
"But you've actually got to empower your diplomats to do the work, and you've got to communicate that the previous nuclear deals that other presidents have signed are still good. By threatening to back out of the Iran nuclear agreement, you're not incentivizing the North Koreans to enter into their own agreement," Murphy said.
"It's a combination of military threats, of real bilateral, multilateral economic sanctions, which this president cannot put together, because he is out there insulting all of the allies who would work with us on sanctions, and empowering your diplomats," Murphy said.
"He is doing none of the things to achieve a real diplomatic breakthrough."
Also on Wednesday, Murphy is introducing a gun control bill in support of universal background checks, but he said he is realistic about its chances of passing. "I'm not naïve about our chances to pass this bill in this Congress, but it's important to have this as a fulcrum point for the movement," Murphy said, according to The Washington Post.
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