On Tuesday morning President Donald Trump addressed the United Nations General Assembly for a lengthy 42 minute speech that took aim primarily at North Korea.
In recent months North Korea has attempted to establish themselves as a threat to the United States with the firing of test missiles over Japan and confirmation from North Korean officials that their missiles could reach as far as the United States. However, Trump was quick to fire back his own threat with a tweet that read, “Military solutions are now fully in place, locked and loaded, should North Korea act unwisely. Hopefully Kim Jong Un will find another path!”
However, as more threats from North Korea continued to roll in, Trump used his platform to set the record straight.
According to Business Insider, he began his speech by taking aim at Kim Jong Un's leadership skills and stated, “No one has shown more contempt for other nations and for the well-being of their people than the depraved regime in North Korea. It is responsible for the starvation deaths of millions of North Koreans and for the imprisonment, torture, killing, and oppression of countless more."
He also cited the case of Otto Warmbier, the American college student who visited the country and was held in a North Korean prison for more than a year, who died just days after being returned to the United States in June.
Trump then ramped up his speech and according to the Los Angeles Times, stated, “Rocket Man is on a suicide mission for himself and for his regime. The United States has great strength and patience, but if it is forced to defend itself and its allies, it will have no choice but to destroy North Korea."
The nickname "Rocket Man," in reference to Kim Jong Un (and maybe Elton John) should come as no surprise, as Trump is known for giving nearly everyone he encounters a personalized (and often times highly offensive) stage name. [Insert Nasty Woman here.] This latest one didn't do much to impress the Internet.
Trump calls Kim Jung Un "Rocket Man" in a speech to the United Nations.
This is real life. pic.twitter.com/7J0y4RzgfY
— Judd Legum (@JuddLegum) September 19, 2017
However, Trump did not slow down as he barreled right into his next point of hinting the United States removal from the Iran Nuclear Deal. A deal he referred to as, "One of the worst and most one-sided transactions the United States has ever entered into" and "an embarrassment to the United States."
"And I don’t think you’ve heard the last of it," he added, according to the Los Angeles Times."Believe me."
While his speech covered some of the main points already established in his foreign policy, it was an unusually brash display for the United Nations General Assembly. And, for better or worse, the nickname "Rocket Man" will most certainly take off in the weeks and months to come.