Feinstein pushes back on Trump’s N. Korea policy

Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) pushed back Sunday on President Trump’s tough talk about squashing North Korea’s nuclear missile program without open lines to have diplomatic dialogue, calling it the wrong approach to a grave issue.

“I don’t believe it is [the right approach],” Feinstein said on CNN’s “State of the Union.”

The senior California recommended trying to get China onboard and serve as the linchpin that could help freeze Pyongyang’s nuclear weapons and missile programs.

{mosads}”I think that North Korea is not going to give up its [nuclear] program with nothing on the table. I think that what could happen is that we could have reliable verification of a freeze of both the nuclear program and the missile arsenal, and that we could conceivably talk China into supporting that kind of a freeze, because it would carry with it no regime change and no war,” she told host Dana Bash.

Feinstein expressed concern about the possible “recklessness” on behalf of the increasingly hostile state, pointing out its successful development of “powerful weapons” as well as room for improvement for the nation’s missile defense systems. 

“I am concerned about the safety of the United States. Our missile defense isn’t perfect. It certainly leaves more to be desired. And it has to really be worked on to be improved.  And we know that they can hit anywhere within the United States now,” Feinstein continued.

“And this particular leader, over his father, has moved much more quickly,” she added.

Feinstein’s remarks come after North Korea fired another ballistic missile over Japan on Friday.

The latest test has left Washington leaders scrambling for a strategic plan to address the escalated tensions after Pyongyang repeatedly conducting nuclear tests in recent months.