Trump says US military “is ready if necessary” to fight after canceling meeting with Kim Jong Un

A few hours after President Donald Trump issued a letter to Kim Jong Un canceling their planned June 12 summit in Singapore, he delivered a speech explaining his decision to the American people — and assuring everyone, including North Korea, that the US military is ready to fight if things go bad quickly.

“Our military, which is by far the most powerful ... is ready if necessary,” Trump said from the White House on Thursday.

“I’ve spoken to South Korea and Japan. And they are not only ready should foolish or reckless acts be taken by North Korea, but they are willing to shoulder much of the costs of any financial burden — any of the costs associated — by the United States in operations if such an unfortunate situation is forced upon us.”

Just so we’re clear: In a possible nuclear war with North Korea, the “costs” wouldn’t just be financial — they’d also potentially be hundreds of thousands of human lives.

You can watch Trump’s full speech below from C-SPAN:

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