The day after his first address before the United Nations General Assembly, during which he criticized the organization’s “bureaucracy and mismanagement,” Donald Trump set his sights on North Korea. Calling out the troublesome nation for its many threats against the United States and Japan, the president declared America will “totally destroy” the China and Russia-aligned country if its dictator, Kim Jong-un doesn’t let up in the neat future.
“The United States has great strength and patience, but if it is forced to defend itself or its allies, we will have no choice but to totally destroy North Korea,” Trump said in a measured tone before the General Assembly. Before anyone at the United Nations had a chance to consider his statement, however, the president recycled the “rocket man” moniker he first employed against Jong-un in a series of tweets on Sunday. “Rocket man is on a suicide mission for himself and his regime. The United States is ready, willing and able, but hopefully this will not be necessary. That’s what the United Nations is all about. That’s what the United Nations is for.”
In conclusion, Trump argued it was “time for North Korea to realize that its denuclearization is its only responsible future.” He also suggested the United Nations “has great potential,” and may become “something that will be very, very special,” when addressing reporters after the General Assembly address.
By the time Trump and his cadre had excited the room, however, Twitter was too busy contemplating the ramifications of his “totally destroy” comments. That, and “rocket man.”
There was a gasp in UN media centre when Trump said "we will have no choice but to totally destroy North Korea .”
— Paul Danahar (@BBCDanahar) September 19, 2017
https://twitter.com/Max_Fisher/status/910150554915147776
At UN Trump threatened to commit a war crime: "totally destroy North Korea."
— Lawrence O'Donnell (@Lawrence) September 19, 2017
https://twitter.com/morninggloria/status/910152934641537025
"We will have no choice but to totally destroy North Korea. Rocket Man is on a suicide mission." Words never ever to be engraved in marble.
— David Rothkopf (@djrothkopf) September 19, 2017
https://twitter.com/Atrios/status/910156129312952320
Gotta tell ya, when you put clips of Kim Jong Un together with Elton John's "Rocket Man" it really humanizes the psychopath… #RocketMan pic.twitter.com/QcdWCcmBBZ
— Tim Young (@TimRunsHisMouth) September 19, 2017
https://twitter.com/SethAMandel/status/910155396245000197
https://twitter.com/elisefoley/status/910157102433304576
“Little Marco” and “Lyin Ted” and “Low Energy Jeb” did not have access to nuclear weapons.
“Rocket Man” does.
— Matt Viser (@mviser) September 19, 2017
(Via CNN)