McCaul: North Korea Threats a 'Tactic' Used Before

North Korea's threats to call off a planned upcoming summit with the United States is just another tactic the country has already used several times before, and the White House was likely not caught by surprise, House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Michael McCaul said Wednesday.

"This is a tactic of North Korea over the last three presidencies," the Texas Republican told Fox News' "Happening Now."

"North Korea has tried to test us, trying to bring us into negotiations and have concessions before we meet at the table."

President Donald Trump, National Security Adviser John Bolton and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo are standing firm, however, that the United States won't make concessions just to get to the negotiating table, and that's a different stance than past administrations have taken, said McCaul.

"I think that's the fatal flaw that has happened over the last previous three administrations, where the North Koreans have played us and continued their nuclear weapons program," said McCaul.

He added that moving forward, Trump should continue the campaign of maximum pressure against North Korea, "as opposed to what President [Barack] Obama did with Iran to appease them," said McCaul.

"President Trump is putting on maximum pressure through sanctions and China," said McCaul. "They have been very helpful in this respect. China does not want North Korea to pull out of these negotiations and these talks."

Meanwhile, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is "just testing [South Korean] President Moon [Jai-in] and South Korea to see if he will concede on these routine military exercises,"said McCaul. "II would advise and caution not to give in to their concessions before you even get to the negotiating table. You want to negotiate out of strength, not out of weakness."

North Korea's vice foreign minister has also accused the United States of harboring "sinister intentions," pointing to National Security Adviser John Bolton's comments that North Korea could follow the Libya model, meaning verifiable denuclearization.

McCaul, though, said he has the highest respect for Pompeo and he believes he'll make the June 12 summit happen.

"Like President John F. Kennedy said, 'let us not fear to negotiate but let us not negotiate out of fear,'" said McCaul. "Lets not let Kim Jong-un bully the United States around. We are a super power and won't stand for a nuclear North Korea."

• State Dept. on NKorea Threat: Still Planning for Trump Summit
• North Korea Threatens to Scrap Trump Summit: Yonhap