Speaking for the very first time at the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday morning, President Trump thought it would be a good idea to rattle the American saber at both Iran and North Korea, potentially setting up a future military conflict with the two nations.
Trump began with North Korea, and his words seemed designed to further inflame the situation with the nuclear-armed nation:
“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. It is time for North Korea to realize that its denuclearization is its only responsible future.”
And Trump again used a pejorative term for Kim Jong-Un, the North Korean leader, warning:
“Rocket Man is on a suicide mission for himself.”
As for Iran, Trump signaled that he fully intends to scrap the nuclear deal negotiated by the Obama Administration:
“The Iran deal was one of the worst and most one-sided transactions. That deal is embarrassment to the US and I don’t think you’ve heard the last of it, believe me.”
The deal with Iran faces a re-certification deadline of mid-October. If the White House decides to undo the work done by former Secretary of State John Kerry, it could set off an escalation of nuclear proliferation across the Middle East.
Trump also sounded nationalistic themes that have been a frequent refrain from him since he first announced his run for the presidency, telling UN members:
“As President of the United States, I will always put America first. All responsible leaders have an obligation to serve their own nations.”
One wonders how exactly America will be “first” if the nation is involved in a two-front war with both Iran and North Korea and the added danger of both confrontations going nuclear over the slightest provocation or misstep. Perhaps that’s Trump’s plan of ultimate diversion: Start wars to distract from the growing investigation by Special Counsel Robert Mueller. If so, impeachment is more necessary than ever.
Featured Image Via CNN Screengrab
