President Trump At UN: We May Have To 'Totally Destroy' North Korea

NEW YORK, NY — In a dour and foreboding speech, President Trump said Tuesday that the United States may have to "totally destroy North Korea" in self-defense or in defense of allies, given the rogue regime's growing nuclear capabilities.

"Rocket Man," he said, using his newly coined moniker for North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un, "is on a suicide mission for himself and for his regime. The United States is ready, willing and able, but hopefully this will not be necessary. That's what the United Nations is all about. ... Let's see how they do."

The remarks came in a speech to an assembly of the United Nations in New York City on Tuesday morning. During the address, he also called out the Iran deal as a bad agreement for the United States and pledged to stop "radical Islamic terrorism." (For more information on this and other political stories, subscribe to the White House Patch to receive daily newsletters and breaking news alerts.)

In recent months, tensions between the North Korean regime and the United States have escalated. Trump's rhetoric has intensified to meet the country's threatening tests of missiles and nuclear weapons.

Referring to President Obama's agreement with Iran to block the country from getting a nuclear weapon in exchange for lifting sanctions, Trump said, "That deal is an embarrassment to the United States. And I don't think you've heard the last of it, believe me."

CNN's Jim Acosta reported after the speech that the White House plans to unveil a new approach to dealing with Iran in October.

Unlike the crowds of adoring fans who greet Trump at his rallies, the audience for the UN speech sat stoically throughout the speech as many listened to translations through earpieces. The room's applause was muted.

Trump did receive some positive feedback from the crowd when discussing nations' rights to defend their own interests, programs to fight disease, policies promoting women and the necessity of restoring democracy to Venezuela. Peter Baker of the New York Times said Trump's reference to Kim Jong-un as "Rocket Man" and his reference to conflicts in the world "going to hell" caused a "buzz" in the audience.

Mitt Romney, the former Republican presidential candidate and frequent Trump critic, praised the address, saying it "gave a strong and needed challenge to UN members to live up to its charter and to confront global challenges."

Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California issued a statement sharply critiquing the president's remarks, saying Trump used the UN as a "stage to threaten war."

She added: "He missed an opportunity to present any positive actions the U.N. could take with respect to North Korea, and he launched a diatribe against Iran, again offering no pathway forward."

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin, Ambassador Nikki Haley and National Security Advisor H.R. McMaster attended the address.

After the speech came to a close, the president departed immediately for Trump Tower.

Watch a video of the speech below.

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Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images