U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich

From the Office of U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich:

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) sent a letter to Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats requesting that the Intelligence Community assess the risk to the United States and to U.S. interests and personnel arising from President Trump’s latest North Korea tweet.

“In particular, we request that the assessment address the likely North Korean response to the President’s January 2 tweet and the President’s other threatening tweets and statements, and whether this rhetoric serves as a deterrent or a provocation. We also ask the Intelligence Community to assess the impact of the president’s message on U.S. credibility and leadership with regard to our regional and international partners and allies,” wrote Heinrich and Wyden, both members of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence.

In light of the current serious risk of conflict, including nuclear escalation with North Korea, the lawmakers believe the implications of the president’s recent communications are of particular interest and significance to the American people and the Intelligence Community’s assessment should be made public to the extent possible.

The full text of the letter is available here.