President Trump Talks North Korea, Trade War During Dual Appearances With Swedish PM

WASHINGTON (CBSNewYork) -- President Donald Trump stepped in front of the camera twice Wednesday with the prime minister of Sweden amid major news on North Korea and other fronts.

"To what do you owe the recent openness to talk, me," Trump said during a Tuesday press conference with Prime Minister Stefan Löfven. "Nobody got that. I think they're sincere because of the sanctions."

The president sounded optimistic regarding developments in North Korea, who conveyed the notion that they may be willing to see the de-nucleation of the peninsula.

"I thought North Korea was terrific," Trump said. "They came out, they went to the Olympics, they went in very good spirit. They did well. Let's see if we can carry it over. It may not, it's a very tenuous situation. Going to be interesting to see what happens."

The president also addressed a possible trade war amid his controversial stand on slapping blanket import tariffs on steel and aluminum.

"When we're behind on every single country, 60 billion dollars, the trade war hurts them," Trump said. "We'll see what happens."

Senators in both parties urged a change in course.

"As you know, there is a lot of concern among Republican senators that this could metastasize into a larger trade war," Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) said Tuesday.

"It seems not well targeted," Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said. "They ought to make sure what they do is focused on China, they are our number one trade problem. Not Canada, not Europe."

Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the American Israeli Public Affairs Committee the day after meeting with Trump. He said Israel is ready to stand up to what he calls radical tyranny in Iran.

"We must stop Iran, we will stop Iran," Netanyahu said.

Trump on Tuesday declined to comment on the status of his beleaguered Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who he's publicly sparred with of late.

He would only say he enjoys conflict in the White House, that he hears opposite opinions and then makes a decision.