On Tuesday North Korean military officials responded to newly issued UN sanctions against the regime by stating the following:
"Physical action will be taken mercilessly with the mobilization of all its national strength.”
The threat comes after years of missile launches and additional threats from President Kim Jong Un to drop a nuclear bomb on the West Coast of the United States. It also comes after a new report from the Pentagon showing the regime has the capability to fit a nuclear warhead on a missile.
President Trump, who has been warning North Korea to knock it off since taking office in January, is not practicing "strategic patience" in response.
"North Korea best not make any more threats to he United States. They will be met with fire and fury like the world has never seen," he said. "He [North Korean President Kim Jung Un] has been threatening beyond any normal state. They will be met with fire, fury and frankly power the likes of which this world has ever seen before."
.@POTUS: "North Korea best not make any more threats to the U.S. They will be met with fire and fury like the world has never seen." pic.twitter.com/nUjWck9aGk
— Fox News (@FoxNews) August 8, 2017
The President has has received criticism for his rhetoric on the issue from a number of Democrats, Republicans (including Arizona Senator John McCain) and political pundits, who argue it only provokes the situation.
But Republican Senator Marco Rubio is having none of it, calling the criticism "ridiculous."
Attacks on @potus for statement on #NorthKoreaNukes are ridiculous.They act as if #NorthKorea would act different if he used nicer words 2/4
— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) August 10, 2017
He's exactly correct. I'll leave you with this.
The whining about Trump using "fire and fury" language in response to little Kim Jong threatening to *nuke* the U.S. really is astounding
— Katie Pavlich (@KatiePavlich) August 10, 2017