# Will Trump launch a military strike against North Korea between now and 2020 presidential election?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-launch-a-military-strike-against-north-korea-between-now-and-2020-presidential-election/821465>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [September 17, 2018, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-launch-a-military-strike-against-north-korea-between-now-and-2020-presidential-election/821465 "2018-09-17T00:33:25Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\
**Post date:** [September 23, 2018, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-launch-a-military-strike-against-north-korea-between-now-and-2020-presidential-election/821465/41 "2018-09-23T21:41:12Z")

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> [@Wheelz](#):
>
> But I don’t see North Korea being the target. That would mean admitting he was wrong about what a great guy Kim is, and he _never_ admits to being wrong.

He doesn’t have to admit he was wrong. He is never wrong, just misquoted by the lying media. He just claims that he never said that, and anyone who disagrees is fake news.

This strategy allows him to say anything he wants, and reverse it later, with no repercussions. There are no restraints to his actions other than his staff, and thank God for those.

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**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\
**Post date:** [September 23, 2018, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-launch-a-military-strike-against-north-korea-between-now-and-2020-presidential-election/821465/42 "2018-09-23T21:54:40Z")

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> [@John\_Mace](#):
>
> Lindsey Graham is one of the most hawkish Senators there is. But the fact is, the US never takes the military option off the table, so saying it “may be back on the table” doesn’t make any sense.

Just speaking truth to power here, but it will be a great day for a country when someone identifies who’s been tongue-washing Graham’s balls in a truckstop off Spartanburg for the past 20 years. I find it improbable the FSB isn’t already… um… on that.

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**Author:** ![ExTank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/35a633/32.png) [@ExTank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ExTank)\
**Post date:** [September 23, 2018, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-trump-launch-a-military-strike-against-north-korea-between-now-and-2020-presidential-election/821465/43 "2018-09-23T23:52:06Z")

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No, he won’t, for one simple reason: NK can obliterate Seoul with a single spoken command.

Unless the U.S. has dozens, perhaps hundreds of tactical nuclear weapons ready to launch on a moment’s notice, to take out the thousands of artillery guns spotted and dialed in on Seoul, then, no, the U.S. will not, not EVER, launch a military strike of any kind against NK.

To do so without the direct consent of the government of SK would be an irrevocable breach of trust with every nation in the Asian theater/sphere of influence.

And, should Trump give such an order (to unilaterally re-commence hostilities against NK), then I have no doubt that his cabinet would invoke the 25th Amendment; with the Congress of the United States of America hot on their heels.

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