President Donald Trump's rumored replacement as national security adviser called for China to "eliminate" North Korea's nuclear program by forcibly merging the nation with South Korea.
John Bolton, the former United Nations ambassador under President George W. Bush and Trump foreign policy adviser, told Fox News he saw no good options for dealing with the hostile state.
"Our options are very limited," Bolton said. "After 25 years, in my view, of pursuing the wrong policy with North Korea, of trying diplomacy and sanctions to affect their behavior, it was never going to work, it didn't work through three successive administrations, it won't work if we try it in year 26."
He said there's only one long-shot option to avoid U.S. military action against North Korea.
"You're down now to one diplomatic option, and that's to convince China that it's ultimately in their interest to reunite the two Koreas," Bolton said. "The way you eliminate the North Korean nuclear program is to eliminate North Korea. It's a hard argument to make, but it's doable."
Bolton, who was reportedly passed over as secretary of state because Trump didn't like his mustache, said war with a nuclear North Korea would be difficult to avoid.
"If we fail, because of the progress they've made, you have to ask, what would a president do if he sees an ICBM judged as being capable of reaching the United States when we don't know what's under the nose cone?" Bolton said. "That is the real concern, and it's coming."
.@AmbJohnBolton says there is one diplomatic option for dealing with North Korea: Convince China to unite North and South Korea. pic.twitter.com/CBt5piDJdp
— Fox News (@FoxNews) July 26, 2017
