The nation and the world shouldn't have to tolerate being whipsawed by a mercurial American president who has never seemed to grasp the importance of policy discipline and consistency. President Donald Trump brought his shoot-from-the-hip style to negotiations with North Korea, as he does routinely on other matters. Only this time, it backfired badly, leaving the world in a much less secure place.

Trump, of course, blames North Korea for scuttling the June 12 scheduled summit where he and dictator Kim Jong Un aimed to lay out conditions for the Korean peninsula's denuclearization. North Korea has developed ballistic missiles able to reach U.S. territory, possibly armed with nuclear warheads.

The U.S. has two basic options: negotiate a solution or impose a solution militarily. Trump's summit cancellation dramatically narrows the negotiation option. Trump warned of U.S. military preparations Thursday and, in a letter to Kim, raised the specter of nuclear confrontation: "You talk about your nuclear capabilities, but ours are so massive and powerful that I pray to God they will never have to be used."

Barely a week ago, the Trump-Kim relationship had the makings of a Nobel-festooned bromance. Kim organized the release of three American prisoners. Trump lavished praise on the North Korean leader, and U.S. officials even talked of measures to ensure the dictator's security if a nuclear deal was reached. Nations with firm policies in defense of democracy and human rights don't typically offer to defend dictators known for mass oppression, starvation and the assassination of their opponents.

But that's the crux of the problem with Trump. He doesn't govern by constructing consistent policy frameworks. Instead, he tweets pronouncements that very often contradict themselves while White House staffers struggle to craft slapdash explanations. The rest of the world can't figure out where the United States stands because the president is so mercurial and undisciplined.

That, in turn, escalates the chances of miscommunication with real consequences. The administration grappled to define what it meant by the "Libya model" for North Korean denuclearization. It originally referred to the framework that allowed then-dictator Muammar Qadhafi to dismantle his nuclear program in exchange for the lifting of international sanctions. But some officials, including Trump, interpreted the Libya model to include what happened afterward: Qadhafi was overthrown and executed.

Vice President Mike Pence clumsily chimed in Monday: "There was some talk about the Libyan model last week, and you know, as the president made clear, this will only end like the Libyan model ended if Kim Jong Un doesn't make a deal."

North Korea correctly interpreted the comment as a threat and issued an insult-laden response. Trump retaliated Thursday by canceling the summit.

Amateurish mistakes can result in catastrophic consequences. The Trump team needs to figure out its message and goals, then stick to them.

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