Graham: Trump has drawn a red line with North Korea

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) on Wednesday gave a vote of confidence to President Trump’s handling of the growing nuclear threat from North Korea.

“President Trump has basically drawn a red line, saying that he’ll never allow North Korea to have an [intercontinental ballistic missile] that can hit America with a nuclear weapon on top,” Graham said on “CBS This Morning.”

“He’s not going to let that happen. He’s not going to contain the threat, he’s going to stop the threat.”

{mosads}The Republican senator, a defense hawk who has at times been critical of Trump, said North Korea’s escalating nuclear program could eventually lead to war.

“My belief is we are headed that way unless the world can stop North Korea,” Graham said.

“We’ve got two bad options: That is to let them get a missile to hit America, or go to war to stop them.”

The Senate Armed Services Committee member said Trump will — and must — put national security above the desire for regional stability, pointing to North Korea’s increasingly hostile rhetoric toward the U.S.

“This is not a language problem. This is a North Korean regime trying to get the capability to strike America, the ultimate insurance for regime survivability,” he said, adding that the war would take place “in the region, not here in America.”