Pence: US will keep up pressure on North Korea

MINOT, N.D. (AP) — Vice President Mike Pence is vowing the U.S. will keep up economic and diplomatic pressure on North Korea to abandon its nuclear and ballistic missile programs.

Pence spoke today to airmen at North Dakota's Minot Air Force Base. The visit marked the second by a top Trump administration official in the past six weeks. The base is home to both B-52 bombers and intercontinental nuclear missiles.

With a huge B-52 in the background, Pence thanked the roughly 250 assembled airmen for their service. He told them President Donald Trump is committed to maintaining America's nuclear powers as a force for peace.

Pence's visit to the Minot base coincided with Defense Secretary Jim Mattis' visit to the Demilitarized Zone that separates North Korea from South Korea. Mattis accused North Korea of threatening global order and said the Trump administration remains committed to compelling the North to accept complete nuclear disarmament.