The Trump administration doesn't have a "bloody nose" strategy focused on a military strike against North Korea's nuclear program without provoking a full-scale war.
That's according to senators who've been briefed by the White House. A senior administration official who appeared at a Senate hearing on Thursday confirmed their accounts.
What the administration has is a policy of "maximum pressure" through sanctions to get North Korea to negotiate, while keeping military options on the table.
Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen and Republican Sen. James Risch say they've been told that the administration isn't considering what some describe as "bloody nose" approach — meaning a military attack intended to demonstrate U.S. resolve but not lead to war.
Trump's nominee as top diplomat for East Asia, Susan Thornton, says that's her understanding, too.
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