WashPost

Rep. Keith Ellison, the vice chair of the Democratic National Committee, told activists at the progressive Netroots Nation conference that President Trump was acting less responsibly than North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and that antiwar activism needs to ramp up as the president’s rhetoric has.

“You have this guy making bellicose threats against somebody else who has very little to lose over there,” said Ellison (D-Minn.). “Kim Jong Un — the world always thought he was not a responsible leader. Well, he’s acting more responsible than this guy.”

There were murmurs of agreement in the room before Ellison described what would need to happen before a “missile launch” become a reality.

“The time for cranking up the antiwar machine is right now,” he said. “If you don’t want to be a deer in the headlights, start calling for diplomacy immediately.”

In a short interview after the speech, Ellison dialed back the Kim-Trump comparison.

“That was one of those I wish I’d not said,” Ellison said. “It’s tailor-made for somebody to misuse. I’d say he’s being incredibly irresponsible and he’s putting us in a situation where you could have an accidental launch. I mean, his rhetoric might make Kim Jong Un think that he needs to strike first. What we need is someone bringing calm to the situation, not spiking it.”