Fear of war with North Korea eases

Americans appear open to President Trump’s decision to negotiate directly with N. Korea’s leader.

WASHINGTON — Americans appear open to President Donald Trump’s surprise decision to negotiate directly with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and at the same time are less concerned than in recent months by the threat posed by the pariah nation’s nuclear weapons.

That’s according to a new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, taken after Trump agreed to what would be unprecedented meeting between a U.S. and a North Korean leader.

North Korea has yet to publicly confirm plans for the summit, slated for May, but the poll results suggest its potential has eased fears of war that intensified last year as the North made rapid strides in its nuclear and missile capabilities.

“If you sit down and talk over any matter, there can be a resolution to it without starting a war,” said Sarah Dobbs, a 64-year-old retiree from Norman, Okla., who described herself as a Democrat and is among the 48 percent of Americans who favor Trump’s plan to talk with Kim.

“No other president has ever done something this bold. That’s why I think: Why not let Trump have at it?” she said.

The poll found that 29 percent oppose the plans for talks between the two nations, while 21 percent say they’re neither in favor nor opposed.

The survey also found an uptick in approval of Trump’s handling of relations with North Korea as the focus has shifted from possible U.S. military action to diplomacy.

That figure is now 42 percent, up from 34 percent last October amid a coarse back and forth between the two leaders.

Last September, Trump dubbed Kim “Rocket Man” and threatened to “totally destroy” North Korea. Kim responded with threats and insults of his own, calling Trump “deranged” and a “dotard.” North Korea’s foreign minister suggested that it might conduct an atmospheric nuclear test in the Pacific — a threat it hasn’t followed through on.

Since then, the proportion of Americans who say they’re very or extremely concerned about the nuclear threat North Korea poses to the U.S. has dropped to 50 percent from 67 percent.