Trump on North Korea missile launch: 'We will take care of it'

WASHINGTON (KABC) -- President Donald Trump says the United States will "take care of it" following North Korea's latest missile launch.

Trump told reporters Tuesday that "it is a situation that we will handle."

MORE: North Korea launches 1st ballistic missile in 2 months

The White House said earlier that Trump was briefed on North Korea's ballistic missile launch early Wednesday local time, its first in two months. Press secretary Sarah Sanders tweeted that Trump "was briefed, while missile was still in the air, on the situation in North Korea."

The Pentagon says it detected and tracked a single North Korean missile launch and believes it was an intercontinental ballistic missile.

MORE: New North Korean ICBM launch was country's highest ever

At the time of the launch, Trump was in a meeting with Senate Republicans on Capitol Hill.

Trump told reporters that he had a "long discussion" with U.S. Secretary of Defense Gen. James Mattis about the missile launch.

Trump's remarks on the latest missile launch by North Korea follow a string of tweets sent by the president in the wake of previous launches and a fiery speech in South Korea in which he warned North Korean leaders not to "try" the U.S.

"Today, I hope I speak not only for our countries, but for all civilized nations, when I say to the North: Do not underestimate us. And do not try us," Trump said to an assembly of South Korean leaders in early November.

Trump also threatened in a speech to the United Nations to "totally destroy" North Korea and said in August that the rogue state would be met with "fire and fury" if it threatened the security of the U.S.

In August, Trump tweeted that military solutions to any conflict with North Korea were "locked and loaded."

Trump's escalating rhetoric, at times, turned into personal attacks against North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, which were returned in kind.

"Why would Kim Jong-un insult me by calling me 'old,' when I would NEVER call him 'short and fat?' Oh well, I try so hard to be his friend - and maybe someday that will happen!" Trump tweeted on Nov. 11.

Kim Jong Un had previously referred to Trump as a "frightened dog" and a "dotard."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.