Trump boasted of America’s military strength, signalled he was ready to rip up a nuclear accord with the “murderous regime” in Tehran, and berated US foes from Pyongyang to Caracas.
UNITED NATIONS: A bellicose President Donald Trump used his maiden address to the UN General Assembly on Tuesday (Sep 19) to warn “Rocket Man” Kim Jong-Un that he will “totally destroy” North Korea if it threatens the United States or its allies.
Appearing before the 193-member organisation that emerged from the ashes of World War II, Trump boasted of America’s military strength, signalled he was ready to rip up a nuclear accord with the “murderous regime” in Tehran, and berated US foes from Pyongyang to Caracas.
“The United States has great strength and patience,” Trump said – as he followed in the footsteps of US presidents from Harry Truman to Barack Obama – “but if it is forced to defend itself or its allies, we will have no choice but to totally destroy North Korea.”
“Rocket Man is on a suicide mission for himself and for his regime,” he said, using his Twitter-friendly new nickname for the North Korean dictator. “The United States is ready, willing and able, but hopefully this will not be necessary.”
Throughout the 42-minute remarks, Trump did little to temper his trademark tough-guy language for the assembled statesmen and women, warning that swathes of the world were “going to hell” and declaring any trade with North Korea an “outrage.”
In language some commentators compared to former president George W. Bush’s “axis of evil” speech, Trump pilloried Iran as a corrupt “rogue state” and threatened to rip up the landmark international deal struck in 2015 to curb Tehran’s nuclear programme.
“Frankly, that deal is an embarrassment to the United States, and I don’t think you’ve heard the last of it,” Trump declared.
“Believe me. It is time for the entire world to join us in demanding that Iran’s government end its pursuit of death and destruction.”
But, the US leader added, the greatest threat to the Tehran regime was not the American military but the restless Iranian people.
