U.S. intelligence has long been unclear about both the capabilities and intentions of Pyongyang. Few expected Kim to gain the ability to target mainland American cities with powerful, missile-delivered nukes so soon. And while most analysts see the North Korean regime‘s pursuit of nuclear weapons as a means to preserve power and ward off threats, no one knows how reckless the 33-year-old leader may be, especially if he feels backed into a corner. Trump‘s ad lib diplomacy may be partly in response to that dearth of good information. During meetings with his war Cabinet in the White House basement during his first seven months in power, Trump routinely excoriated advisers about why they didn‘t know more, pointing to the money that U.S. intelligence services had spent in providing incomplete information, say Administration officials.