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McCain Asks Trump To Tone Down Rhetoric On North Korea

Sen. John McCain is asking the president to tone down the bellicose rhetoric in the war of words with North Korea. Though he does admit the current situation is not all Donald Trump’s fault.

In a Facebook Town Hall on Wednesday, Arizona’s senior senator says much of the blame for the standoff lies with previous administrations’ inaction.

But McCain again urged Trump to watch his words.

“This is a difficult challenge. And I hope the president, which he is not now, is very careful about what his language is, and what he threatens," McCain said.

McCain, who serves as chairman of the Armed Services Committee, feels the U.S. military must be ready to respond at any time to North Korea’s threats, but fears any action could have devastating consequences.

“There are literally thousands of artillery pieces that are embedded in caves that can be rolled out. We can take them out. But not before they can reach the city of Seoul that can reach 26 million people," McCain said.

He said China has the real power to change the situation, since it controls the North Korean economy.

Phil Latzman is an award-winning digital journalist and broadcast professional with over 25 years of experience covering news and sports on a multitude of platforms.