Trump: ‘We will totally destroy N Korea’ if they don’t back down

DONALD Trump has vowed to “totally destroy” North Korea unless “Rocket Man” Kim Jong-un backs down over his nuclear weapons programme.

In a blistering first speech to the United Nations General Assembly yesterday, the US President branded the rogue regime’s leader a “twisted dictator” on a suicide mission.

And he put the UN on notice that he would act if world leaders failed to.

Speaking for 40 minutes in New York, Mr Trump warned the globe faces threats from pariah states and “terrorists and extremists”.

“Rogue regimes not only support terrorists but threaten other nations with the most destructive weapon known to humanity,” he said.

Unless Pyongyang backs down in the nuke stand-off which has brought the Korean peninsula to the brink, “we will have no choice but to totally destroy North Korea”, he warned.

“Rocket man is on a suicide mission for himself and his regime,” he added.

Mr Trump said North Korea was “responsible for the starvation deaths of millions of North Koreans”.

STRENGTH

He added: “If this is not twisted enough, now North Korea’s pursuit of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles threatens the entire world with unthinkable loss of human life.

“It is an outrage that some nations would not only trade, but would arm, supply and financially support a country that imperils the world with nuclear conflict.

“The US 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.

“Rocket Man is on a suicide mission for himself and his regime.”

A Downing Street spokeswoman said last night: “We are clear that North Korea’s actions are provocative and our focus is on increasing the pressure on them to change course.

“As President Trump said, the international community must continue to work together to confront rogue regimes. No one wants to see military action, but as we progress with efforts to secure a peaceful diplomatic resolution it would be wrong to rule anything out.”

And France’s Emmanuel Macron said: “Pyongyang has crossed a major threshold in military escalation.”