Trump Issues Terrifying Statement on North Korea

Posted by Melissa McEwan at Tuesday, August 08, 2017
Trump on the latest threat from North Korea from a side room in the clubhouse at his golf course in Bedminster, New Jersey: "North Korea best not make any more threats to the United States. They will be met with the fire and the fury like the world has never seen. He has been very threatening beyond a normal state, and, as I said, they will be met with the fire and fury and frankly power the likes of which this world has never seen before. Thank you."
In case you've forgotten, that was when Mike Pence stood on the deck of the USS Ronald Reagan, surrounded by cheering military folks and said: "The United States of America will always seek peace, but, under President Trump, the shield stands guard and the sword stands ready. ...And those who would challenge our resolve or our readiness should know: We will defeat any attack and meet any use of conventional or nuclear weapons with an overwhelming and effective American response!"

("The sword stands ready" is a dogwhistle to North Korea, whose Foreign Ministry refers to their nuclear program as "the treasured sword of justice.")


Again, this is particularly chilling in light of the dynamic detailed by Fannie just this morning: "A lesson from George W. Bush's presidency, then, is that a security crisis can confer legitimacy to a President who begins his term lacking it. And, the people will hunker down and rally behind an undeserving leader during a scary time, out of a sense of fear, loyalty, and nationalism. History shows that bad leaders will squander this trust, rather than accepting it with responsibility and grace."

That Trump would be terrifyingly reckless, needlessly provocative, profoundly incompetent, and stupidly belligerent about foreign policy was manifestly obvious when he was a candidate. His detractors — and his general election opponent — warned that he would bring us to the brink of nuclear war, if not draw the nation into a nuclear battle.


This was reason #1 not to vote for him.

There are many reasons that he holds the office of the presidency today, but chief among them is that 62,979,636 people voted for him, despite those warnings. In many cases, because they actively hoped this is the kind of leader he would be.

That is unfortunate for all the rest of us, and for most of the rest of the world.
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