President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson have "different" views on handling North Korea, but he emphasized that "ultimately, my attitude is the one that matters, isn't it?"
"I have a little bit different attitude on North Korea than other people might have," Trump told reporters before an Oval Office meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. "I listen to everybody.
"But, ultimately, my attitude is the one that matters, isn't it?
"That's the way it works," the president said. "That's the way the system is."
President Trump has escalated his rhetoric against Pyongyang in recent weeks — dubbing dictator Kim Jong Un "Rocket Man" and threatening to "totally destroy" North Korea — while Tillerson has insisted that strong global economic sanctions and diplomacy would anchor the U.S. strategy against the regime.
"I think, perhaps, I feel stronger and tougher on that subject than other people," President Trump said, "but I listen to everybody.
"Ultimately, I'll do what's right for the United States — and, really, what's right for the world.
"Because that's really a world problem. That's beyond just the United States.
"That's a world problem — and it's a problem that has to be solved."
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