Rocket Man makes a reappearance. And so does the possibility of total thermonuclear destruction.
President Trump took a domestic agenda that has emphasized nationalism and sovereignty and in his first address to the United Nations on Tuesday made it the foundation of his foreign policy.
The speech before the global body was notable for its tone, which largely sidestepped the statesmanlike language of his other foreign policy addresses. In his attacks on the United States’ enemies — especially North Korea and Iran — Trump was bellicose and direct. In those moments, he sounded a lot like his Twitter feed.
Trump referred to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un as “Rocket Man” and accused him of being on a “suicide mission for himself and for his regime.” The president promised to “totally destroy” North Korea if it attacked the United States or its allies.
He hinted that he would soon pull the United States out of the international nuclear deal with Tehran, a move that would unnerve U.S. allies who are also parties to it.
“That deal is an embarrassment to the United States, and I don’t think you have heard the last of it,” he said. “Believe me.”