Even the Hawkish Are Concerned by Trump's Leveled Up North Korea Rhetoric

Senator John McCain, who is not definitely not known for his pacifist positions, castigated President Trump for his “fire and fury” warning to North Korea on Tuesday. In any case, McCain seemed to suggest that Trump’s threats amount to an overstatement, though concerning.

“I don’t pay much attention anymore to what the president says because there’s no point in it,” the Arizona senator told a local news station when asked about Trump’s comments. “It’s not terrible what he said, but it’s kind of the classic Trump in that he overstates things.”

Like many Americans, McCain has abandoned attempting to decode Trump’s consistently incendiary rhetoric about any and everything. “I don’t know what he’s saying and I’ve long ago given up trying to interpret what he says,” McCain added. “That kind of rhetoric, I’m not sure how it helps.”

McCain also described the situation as “very, very, very, serious.” So we’ve a reached triple “very” threat level.

Even Senator Lindsay Graham, who warned that military action was inevitable if North Korea continued to provoke the U.S. on CNN last week, said he was concerned by Trump’s remarks.

Graham is the guy who once said “don’t vote for me” if you’re exhausted by America’s perpetual wars. Though Senator Ben Sasse of Nebraska isn’t quite a McCain level hawk, his comments reflect a general sentiment among Republicans. At least the sentiment that Trump can’t launch an impulsive attack on North Korea without congress’s permission — which is not exactly a condemnation, but more of an acknowledgement.

Here’s to hoping McCain and his flimsy conscience might truly do something praiseworthy one of these days.