Transcript for North Korea: 'Only absolute force' can work on Trump

Hey add comment about airline in New York State that you're gonna bring you up to speed on some of the biggest headlines happening here. And around the world right now at the band back together again and check this out. All across Washington DC and a great it'd be here at the aid down and argued he Deir Al we've got Mary Bruce Rick Klein theme skiing hear it over at the Pentagon we've got Stephanie I'm. And finally at least indictments and New Jersey captured while others is that the that I everybody. And a tank by the way I did when it a somewhat different and everyone got the bloom and how it it. They're still cool up. Hard Terry here over the deep hero let's talk to North Korea. Guy can we let's birth talk about the fact that tensions are not. Quite where we thought they would be in the army hoped they would be after the president's ire and theory comment. And really read it here. Where are we now are our attention back down where we thought they would be. Steve I gotta go. It agent apparently Hyatt Washington DC we can say that and I'm sure that there high and one as well because we saw overnight. The direct threat from the north Koreans to want to launch missiles towards Guam and so. People are thinking well are they really do this but if we go back and look that communique it's really something that comes from a lower level part. Via of the missile launch of the artillery the space artillery corps so what the north Koreans are doing here saying we're gonna give ourselves some wiggle room. But they are clearly signaling that they intend to do something like this whether it stopped at Kim Jong-un level low remains to be seen and it gives us a couple weeks. For diplomacy to work its bids bolt and see if the Chinese can be pressured into pressuring north Koreans you think you have weeks we have we OK that's heavily felt. I hope a hope and so what I'm struck by roundup is is the the mixed messaging you see inside the White House seems like the president went out there are reports yes freelance its own fire and fury line. And then you have the secretary of state secretary as saying it's okay are now and we're gonna sleep now critically well. So we know there's going to be castle street briefing this afternoon I'm curious if they use this opportunity present itself to change the rhetoric was the only date was released on. Have been between the president coming out his arms crossed giving that that you know very powerful message and you have Matt is coming out saying something you know quite quite different as well not just Tillerson matters coming out and saying. Yet North Korea has the end of its regime and the destruction of its people it doesn't stand down its messages across the board. They have to come somehow find to wait it. Reassured you know our allies feature Americans and make sure that everyone you know has a sense of what message they're really trying to to get out here. Yet and the message is important because. If you think about it here's a guy who sits in Pyongyang who only use what he wants to view has notebooks the outside world and so there is room for miscalculation because. He doesn't know anything more than what he wants in them as looking at a at a special going back to 1983 when the Russians almost wants and what they thought was an attack by the US that was almost nuclear warning three. And you look at that it is scary as hell because here the Russians we had all these confidence building measures with. And they almost launch because they in this perceived and NATO exercise as an actual launch they can only imagine the kind of miscommunication. The paranoia that exists in Pyongyang that could lead to some sort of it's. I don't that lets the capitol to protest the second Akron that last line there is scary at Al what do you think from the white house on the government. Eyewitness outside wrecked a little bit mixed messages coming out of this White House C the president's comments the Saturday and then are reporting that. Some of his top aides really caught off guard by this reporting that. General Kelly may not have been in the loop however you know this languages English that he's wanted to use he lights the free inspired theory. Though they didn't expect that you possibly is at this time Sarah Sanders is a statement saying. The worst isn't so we did this. Time when they're talking today around 4 o'clock you'll see that. General Kelly will be by aside me ask the president and the vice president it's really. Put them on the same room on camera and and -- get on the same page here. And Steffi was over at the Pentagon. What. Are you hearing from folks there because obviously heard from the secretary is sort of walking. It what it is at the well a US official tells ABC news there is no. Activity in North Korea right now that would signal an imminent missile launch so. That's good news but it will be interest indices. What president trump house is say about North Korea's latest comments it editing an alternate we haven't heard from the president today at all he has not tweeted about. North Korea but given his recent. Comments. About fighting against north and the US fighting its North Korea with. Fire and fury and the North Korea firing back. Verbally saying that they're going to. Launched four missiles wards while on the US territory by mid August this like a schoolyard fight it's going back and forth. We've seen these threats from North Korea for years and years but it's it's definitely high into right now but. This heightened rhetoric that we're hearing hasn't equated to an elevated military status. Here at the Pentagon we have knock on any signs that the US would first to launch any sort of attack. Against North Korea. That pat here's the thanks Susan right sizing the former national security advisor former US ambassador to the UN. Had editorial published this morning in the New York Times the want to read you one new line of it Annie get your reaction she said. Either on the subject of North Korea either mr. trump is issuing an empty threat of nuclear war which would further erode American credibility and deterrents. More he actually intends war next time mr. Kim behaved provocatively she called the first option fall Lee she called the second option. Lifting the guys over that he figure out if you like the options here are folly verses lunacy is that we are. You know would be well that's right this all occurred on your watch in doing about it but he left met this mess it also tweet about nasty or something but it is that there are pointing at her and yet I do think there's there's one point here in this new. The president can have to be careful not to walk this back so far it appears he's backing because that's the way you read. So bodies state. That say look it was and threats but with actions that you those actions we will punish. Interesting to see you mean obviously tone this afternoon it will be watching very carefully but believe it North Korea characterized his threat saying that the president. The language that he was using as a load of nonsense that he was bereft of reason and that's poking the president buttons and we know that he does not always risk. Right now we're in the Americas they're trying to speak the language that in Dublin monitors that let speaking felt like that. The liberty and I'm curious office the intended to move the Red Line as close North Korean behaviors it because he was when he tweet about the fired during the threat not just about missile launchers attacked. But about her. Yeah words not defection yet and so that's obviously dangerous because. If that in the case we would have had nuclear war. In 1950s so so they've always been provocative we know they use incendiary sort of stalinists language with curator for years traditionally US presence of just. Said you know we're gonna do Teddy Roosevelt speak softly and carry big stick every every part of the Kim regime from his father and his grandfather knows. That if they come across the DMZ or if the attack the US they will be nuclear obliterated so that's not news it's nothing new here it's the chest thumping. That we haven't ever seen really since Harry Truman. And that is worth pointing out of course we talked a lot about Guam and it's not just the US that could be a potential target of course. South Korea has always been on alert to some degree and staff have left to get your take on this because. The South Korean officials held basically and an emergency meeting of air National Security Council today because. Of all this rhetoric and the tweets and then the comments and so one. Are you expecting to hear from anyone at the Pentagon about that or the latest on this today. And and it's very possible we're expected to hear from secretary of defense about it later on today he's currently in California. But we've heard from South Korean leaders say they want a dialogue they want to talk this out smooth this over. But at the same time being thing they've made it very clear. That they will fight back and just as the US has made it here we heard from secretary of defense that is yesterday he put out a statement saying. And the DP RK must choose to stop isolating itself and stand down its pursuit of nuclear weapons. The DP RDP RK should seize any consideration actions that would. Lead to the end of its regime and the destruction of its people so making it very clear that. This may not be the route that we want to go it wouldn't benefit anyone but it's. If that's brought the US military needs to go it whales making that very clear in South Korea has made that clear as well. All right that he this is where you leave live at the Pentagon thanks so much for being here today think that any countries in.

This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.