We are left with equally bad consequences. On the one hand, losing face in a verbal exchange with North Korea’s dictator undercuts the United States’ credibility with both our allies and adversaries. Each time Mr. Trump blusters without backing it up, he weakens his rhetorical punch, to the point where enemies will dismiss every utterance as hot air. The result may be to talk himself into a corner where the only way out is to lash out with force.
On the other hand, Mr. Trump’s overheated, loose language could accidentally propel us into war on the Korean Peninsula. It feeds Mr. Kim’s paranoia that the United States seeks to end his regime, and not just his missile and nuclear programs. Mr. Kim is highly unlikely to strike first, knowing that doing so would result in his annihilation. But by rhetorically lowering the bar to American action, Mr. Trump could cause Mr. Kim to misinterpret carefully limited United States military moves — like flying B-1 bombers over the Korean Peninsula — as the start of a regime-ending attack. Mr. Kim might then cash in his failed nuclear insurance policy and try to take his enemies down with him.
Maybe Mr. Trump’s unbridled bravado is aimed at his domestic political base. But what worked during a campaign is the height of irresponsibility in office, when people around the world hang on an American president’s every utterance. Especially when it comes to national security, there is a premium on an administration speaking clearly, consistently and precisely, starting with the president. Loose lips really can sink ships — and because Mr. Trump cannot control his, this administration’s foreign policy is taking on water.
