President Donald Trump nearly provoked North Korea into war with a single tweet, renowned

"I don't know why they're there," Trump reportedly told top officials during a meeting, according to Woodward's explosive book. "Let's get them out."

Secretary of Defense James Mattis explained to Trump in another meeting that troops are there in order to "prevent World War III," the book claims.

In October, Trump tweeted that former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson was "wasting his time trying to negotiate with Little Rocket Man," and reportedly told former Staff Secretary Rob Porter that his tweet "may be my best [tweet] ever."

According to Woodward, Porter asked the president if the tweet might provoke Kim, to which he replied "it's leader versus leader. Man versus man. Me versus Kim."

Woodward told CBS that the most "dangerous" moment of Trump's standoff with Kim Jong Un came when the president went to produce another provocative tweet.

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According to Woodward, the tweet was never sent out after backchannel communications with North Korea made clear that the nation would regard the move as a sign the US was preparing to wage war on the North.

"People who work for him are worried that he will sign things or give orders that threaten the national security or the financial security of the country or the world."

canceled Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's trip to North Korea after the country sent out a mysterious letter, pointing to potential hostilities between the two leaders.

In recent months, North Korea has upped its rhetoric against the US, and North Korea's state newspaper accused Washington of plotting to "unleash a war" on Pyongyang while continuing to negotiate "with a smile on its face."

Kim told China's state broadcaster Sunday that North Korea is keeping up with its end of the agreement it reached in June and hopes the US keeps to its side of the deal.