Sen. Marco Rubio responded to reports that North Korea successfully carrying out its first hydrogen bomb test Tuesday by calling it an example of what the 2016 hopeful sees as bad leadership from President Barack Obama.
“I have been warning throughout this campaign that North Korea is run by a lunatic who has been expanding his nuclear arsenal while President Obama stood idly by,” the Florida Republican said in a statement issued late Tuesday night.
The United States still has yet to confirm if North Korea’s claims of successfully testing a hydrogen bomb are true, according to the White House and State Department. A magnitude-5.1 seismic event was registered by the U.S. Geological Survey near previous nuclear test sites, but a senior administration official tells CNN that it could take days to obtain the necessary scientific data to determine if the test was indeed successful.
Recognizing that there is still more to be found out about the alleged test, Rubio didn’t hesitate to address Democratic presidential frontrunner and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
“If this test is confirmed, it will be just the latest example of the failed Obama-Clinton foreign policy,” said Rubio. “Our enemies around the world are taking advantage of Obama’s weakness. We need new leadership that will stand up to people like Kim Jong Un and ensure our country has the capabilities necessary to keep America safe.”
Three out of four of North Korea’s nuclear tests — in 2009, 2013 and now — have taken place while Obama has been President.
North Korea’s televised announcement of a hydrogen bomb test comes just a couple of days after Rubio laid out an address on national security in the 21st century. He again called North Korea’s leader a “lunatic,” saying, “There’s no other way to describe him. He expands his military while his country starves. He is growing his nuclear arsenal, and building missiles capable of reaching the West coast of the United States.” Rubio also listed China and Russia’s growing militaries, Iran, and ISIS, which can often dominate national security discussions, in the foreground of the national security landscape.