‘Locked and Loaded’: Trump Tweets New Threat to North Korea
First ‘Fire and Fury’ and Now ‘Locked and Loaded’
America has a cowboy president again. President Donald Trump for the third day in a row is actively threatening North Korea with nuclear war. Early Friday morning the Commander-in-Chief, after retweeting three favorable “Fox & Friends” posts on his presidency, posted a provocative tweet warning North Korea.
“Military solutions are now fully in place,locked and loaded,should North Korea act unwisely. Hopefully Kim Jong Un will find another path!” Trump tweeted.Â
Military solutions are now fully in place,locked and loaded,should North Korea act unwisely. Hopefully Kim Jong Un will find another path!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 11, 2017
The threat mirrors one Pyongyang made earlier this week, that the North Korean military was readying plans to send missiles to the U.S. territory of Guam.
Pres. Trump and North Korea continue making verbal threats against each other: https://t.co/C5S7bMLwra pic.twitter.com/pJumbPcuGF
— CBS News (@CBSNews) August 11, 2017
Trump’s new tagline, “locked and loaded,” follows one that grabbed international headlines Tuesday: “fire and fury.”
That threat was made on camera while holding a meeting at his Bedminster, New Jersey golf course.Â
“North Korea best not make any more threats to the U.S.” Trump told reporters Tuesday in unscripted remarks. “They will be met with fire and fury like the world has never seen.” He went on to add that North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un “has been very threatening… and as I said they will be met with fire, fury, and frankly power the likes of which this world has never seen before.”
On Thursday afternoon Trump doubled down, instead of de-escalating.
“Maybe it wasn’t tough enough,†Trump told reporters, speaking of his “fire and fury” remarks. “And we’re backed 100 percent by our military, we’re back by everybody and we’re backed by many other leaders,” Trump insisted.
It’s important to note just how unacceptably this president has behaved this week. Remember, this entire situation started because The Washington Post reported North Korea had gained the ability to miniaturize a nuclear warhead enough to fit inside an intercontinental missile. Kim Jong-un had not made a specific threat – until Trump responded to the news in a televised press briefing, while on vacation and without determining a plan or policy.
As a result of Trump’s bombastic rhetoric, nuclear experts say we are closer to nuclear war than any time since the Cuban missile crisis.
To be clear, Trump is moving America towards a nuclear war, and he has neither reason nor plan nor the support of the American people.
Many were quick to respond to Friday’s threat.
“Trump knows TV. He just added a new catchphrase new anchors and chyrons after ‘fire and fury:'” tweeted New York Times chief Metro political correspondent Shane Goldmacher.
More responses to Trump’s latest attack:
POLITICO senior writer:
Did WH Chief of Staff John Kelly approve Trump telling his 35 million Twitter followers that the U.S. military was “locked and loaded”
— Jake Sherman (@JakeSherman) August 11, 2017
National Security Correspondent McClatchyDC:
Tues: “Fire and fury”
Wed: “More powerful than ever before”
Thur: “Maybe ‘fire and fury’ wasn’t tough enough”
Fri: “Locked and loaded” https://t.co/84U4gHZ8VU— Vera Bergengruen (@VeraMBergen) August 11, 2017
Reporter for Axios:
Trump’s alliteration has been on point lately. #fireandfury #lockedandloaded
— Stef W. Kight (@StefWKight) August 11, 2017
NBCNews Capitol Hill Correspondent:
Tuesday: “Fire and fury”
Friday: “Locked and loaded”
👀
— Kasie Hunt (@kasie) August 11, 2017
White House Correspondent for SXMPOTUS / SIRIUSXM:
yeah but “locked and loaded” seriously but not literally right
right https://t.co/UBZIUdNxAj
— Jared Rizzi (@JaredRizzi) August 11, 2017
Communications Director at EveryVoice:
Locked and loaded is what sitcom presidents say.
— Adam Smith (@asmith83) August 11, 2017
More:
Locked and loaded?
Seriously?
Confirmation that @realDonaldTrump thinks this is an action movie.
— Matthew Gellert (@MatthewGellert) August 11, 2017
“Locked and Loaded”, ” Fire and Fury”
Depressing that the end of the world will be titled like a Vin Diesel sequel. #Trump #MAGA
— Scott Reid (@_scottreid) August 11, 2017
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