US President Donald Trump made the unprecedented threat to βtotally destroyβ North Korea, not in a tweet or off the cuff remark, but in a written speech before the United Nations General Assembly on September 20. No other leader of a country has ever stood before the UN and openly stated its intention to destroy another country.Β
Coupled with Trumpβs earlier threat to rain down βfire and furyβ on North Korea, this threat must be seen as one that at least includes the possibility of a nuclear attack.