President Trump did not mince words when addressing the United Nations (UN) yesterday. And while he mellowed some of his previous criticisms of the UN, he pulled no punches when it came to North Korea and Iran. Among other things, he threatened to “totally destroy North Korea if the North forces the U.S. to defend itself or its allies.”
Referring to North Korea’s Kim Jong Un as “Rocket Man,” Trump added that North Korea poses a threat to the entire world with its nuclear program. Similarly, he went after Iran in his wide-ranging speech. He called the Iran nuclear deal an “embarrassment to the U.S.” and suggested he may pull the U.S. out of the international accord. Trump accused Iran of promoting destabilizing behavior in the world said the country is being run by a corrupt and murderous regime.
It should be noted that while North Korea’s representatives – who would have been seated in the front row for Trump’s speech – exited before he stepped to the podium. There were a few gasps when Trump made his threat but these U-N addresses are usually quickly forgotten...there are a few exceptions, Nikita Khrushchev banging his shoe in protest in 1960 and Adlai Stevenson's "dont wait for the translation" shot to the Russian Ambassador during the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis.