Following attacks from the president over Twitter, the WSJ released their recordings of the interview on Saturday night, and steadfastly stood by its original reporting, which is that Trump said he has already spoken directly with North Korea's Kim, and that the two had a positive relationship. Listening to both audio clips, it's still quite unclear if the president said, "I," or "I'd," but it's important to point out that the debate is nevertheless largely nonsensical. After it was reported that residents of Hawaii received a false alert about an incoming ballistic missile, Trump didn't issue a reassuring response and instead tweeted about "fake news," as Salon has previously reported. Tensions between the U.S. and North Korea have escalated significantly since Trump was sworn in last January, and while there have been small signs of improvement for the upcoming Olympics in South Korea, the threat of war is still very real. Following months of heightened tensions, the White House's priorities lie with a single word published by a newspaper, and its larger crusade against the media, while not remaining focused on diplomatic options to avert a potential crisis on the Korean Peninsula — or even the United States.

Source: Wall Street Journal January 14, 2018 20:37 UTC