This story has been updated to include a reaction from Hillary Clinton.
North Korea announced Tuesday it had successfully detonated a hydrogen bomb. Given the strained relations between the totalitarian government led by Kim Jong-un and much of the rest of the world, the news has led to a good deal of consternation—including among the 2016 candidates for president.
Republican favorite Donald Trump talked on Fox News about compelling China to get tough with North Korea, wrote the Washington Times.
“China has total control, believe me,” he said, “They say they don’t; they have total control over North Korea. Without China, they wouldn’t eat.”
Jeb Bush, meanwhile, took to Twitter to attack President Obama and Hillary Clinton:
North Korean nuke test https://t.co/zNW3xU9cZD shows danger of continuing feckless Obama/Clinton foreign policy.
— Jeb Bush (@JebBush) January 6, 2016
Marco Rubio took a similar tact, saying that if the test turns out to be real, “it will be just the latest example of the failed Obama-Clinton foreign policy,” reports Politico.
On her Facebook page, Carly Fiorina focused only on her potential general election opponent: “North Korea is yet another Hillary Clinton foreign policy failure. America cannot lead from behind.”
Rand Paul didn’t focus on Clinton and Obama, instead noting that it was a difficult situation and that “The one thing we have in our favor is that socialism is an abysmal failure,” reports CNN.
On the Democratic side, Bernie Sanders actually agreed with Trump that the U.S. has to get China involved, reports ABC News. Hillary Clinton, meanwhile, said the test was a “provocative and dangerous act” and called for increased sanctions, reported Reuters.
