*A war ⚔ of words ��*
From early this year, the world has witnessed President Trump and Kim Jong Un taking a jab at each other, calling each other names and openly suggesting war. Here's a walk down memory lane, with excerpts from statements made by both presidents.
*Armada*
As tensions rose over North Korea's ongoing missile testing earlier this year, the president threatened that an armada would be sent to handle the situation. "We are sending an armada, very powerful," he said in an interview. But that turned out to be an empty threat. The following week, it was revealed that the strike carrier group Trump had referenced was actually 3,000 miles away from the Korean peninsula!
*Major Conflict*
On April 28, Trump suggested that a "major, major conflict" between the two countries was possible, because of North Korea's nuclear missile program. While Trump then said he would be willing to meet with Kim under the "right circumstances" and called the leader a "smart cookie," North Korea didn't mince words.
“Now that the U.S. is kicking up the overall racket for sanctions and pressure against the DPRK … the DPRK will speed up at the maximum pace the measure for bolstering its nuclear deterrence,” the country said on April 30.
*A jab here, a jab there*
After North Korea said it had launched its first intercontinental ballistic missile in early July, Trump bombarded twitter with some important questions. "North Korea has just launched another missile. Does this guy have anything better to do with his life? Hard to believe that South Korea.....and Japan will put up with this much longer. Perhaps China will put a heavy move on North Korea and end this nonsense once and for all!"
After the sanctions against North Korea were in place, the rhetoric heated up.
"The U.S.' villainous illegal actions against our country and people will be reciprocated by thousands-fold," the country said in a statement on August 7. "If it thinks that it will be safe because it is across an ocean, there is no bigger misunderstanding than that."
*Fire and fury*
The country then threatened the U.S. territory of Guam, which, of course, made Trump retort. "North Korea best not make any more threats to the United States." Kim "has been very threatening beyond a normal state, and as I said they will be met with fire and fury and frankly power, the likes of which this world has never seen before."
North Korea's army replied, again being rather 'on-the-face' about it. "Sound dialogue is not possible with such a guy bereft of reason and only absolute force can work on him," a statement from North Korean Gen. Kim Rak Gyom said on August 9.
Trump vowed in an August 11 tweet that the U.S. military was ready. "Military solutions are now fully in place,locked and loaded, should North Korea act unwisely. Hopefully Kim Jong Un will find another path!"
Throughout the following month, North Korea launched a missile over Japan and claimed they had tested a miniaturized hydrogen bomb.
*Rocket man*
Trump then coined a name for Kim Jong - Rocket man. First put out in a tweet this week, the president then used it in his speech on Tuesday before the United Nations General Assembly. He also threatened to wipe out the country.
"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. "Rocket man is on a suicide mission for himself and for his regime."
Kim replied to the president's threats, calling Trump a "frightened dog. I will surely and definitely tame the mentally deranged U.S. dotard with fire," Kim said in an official statement on Thursday. (Dotard, according to Merriam-Webster, means a person who is in a "state or period of senile decay marked by decline of mental poise and alertness.")
"Kim Jong Un of North Korea, who is obviously a madman who doesn't mind starving or killing his people, will be tested like never before!" Trump responded on Friday morning.
