Donald Trump threatens to 'totally destroy North Korea' if it continues on nuclear path

If he continues down this path, Trump said "we will have no choice but to totally destroy North Korea."

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The ex-reality television star did not exactly take a low-key approach in his maiden speech before the more staid United Nations delegates; he deployed campaign rhetoric ("the stock market is at an all-time high") and engaged in Trump-like insults ("loser terrorists" as well as "Rocket Man"), all while discussing serious issues that critics fear could lead to nuclear war with North Korea.

Pyongyang's "reckless pursuit of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles threatens the entire world with unthinkable loss of human life," Trump said. While the U.S. is willing and able to take military action, Trump added that "hopefully this will not be necessary."

Trump also used the speech to outline his vision of an "America First" foreign policy, and suggested other United Nations members might want to follow suit. All countries should follow the principle of "sovereignty," Trump said, because government's "first duty is to its people."

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Emphasising the need for "sovereignty," Trump also encouraged other countries to look out for their own interests above all others.

"I will always put America first, just like you, as the leaders of your countries, will always and should always put your countries first," he said.

Still, Trump encouraged individual countries to come together on mutual challenges – such as countering North Korea, fighting poverty, and reforming the U.N. bureaucracy.

"Making a better life for our people also requires us to work together in close harmony and unity," he said, "to create a more safe and peaceful future for all people."

(Seth Wenig/AP/PA)

As he did on the campaign trail, Trump stressed that the United States would not be a part of any agreements unfavourable to the U.S.

"The United States will forever be a great friend to the world, and especially to its allies," Trump said, "but we can no longer be taken advantage of or enter into a one-sided deal where the United States gets nothing in return."

The wide-ranging speech, clocking in at more than 40 minutes, took on other adversaries besides North Korea. Trump accused Iran of seeking nuclear weapons, despite its agreement with the United States and allies to curtail its nuclear program, and vowed to fight existential threats from "radical Islamic terrorists."

“To put it simply," Trump said, "we meet at a time of both immense promise and great peril."

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Trump's definition of the "peril" the U.S. faces drew criticism from some of the aggressive president's political opponents.

(Seth Wenig/AP/PA)

Trump made his threats to North Korea directly in front of its delegation, which drew front row seats through a U.N. lottery system. Trump's comments, especially about "Rocket Man," drew murmurs among the normally quiet United Nations delegates.

In urging United Nations members to apply more political and economic pressure to North Korea, Trump said: "If the righteous many do not confront the wicked few, then evil will triumph."

Throughout Trump's eight months in office, tensions between the U.S. and North Korea have escalated. Trump last month threatened to unleash “fire and fury like the world has never seen" if North Korea did not stop threatening the U.S. Yet his bellicose rhetoric failed to persuade Pyongyang not to conduct its sixth, and most powerful, nuclear test on September 3.

In his wide-ranging speech, Trump also:

• Described the Iran nuclear deal as an "embarrassment" to the United States

Trump suggested he may try to kill the deal reached by his predecessor Barack Obama in 2015. "I don’t think you’ve heard the last of it, believe me," he said. As another critic of the agreement, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, looked on approvingly, Trump claimed the nuclear deal "provides cover" for Iran to engage in "eventual construction of a nuclear program."

• Took a shot at the Iran government

Most of its population opposes the government in Tehran, Trump said. "The good people of Iran want change and, other than the vast military power of the United States, that Iran's people are what their leaders fear the most."

• Condemned "radical Islamic terrorism" and countries he said help finance it.

“It is time to expose and hold responsible those countries who support and finance terror groups," Trump said, though he did not specify which countries he was talking about

• Began his speech with a riff on domestic politics

The United States has "done very well" since his election last November, Trump said.

• Used the word "beautiful" to describe things that pleased him, and also invoked "the almighty God who made us all."

Things that are "beautiful" to Trump included: The Marshall Plan to rebuild Europe after World War II; the overall vision of the United Nations; and the first three words of the U.S. Constitution ("We The People").

Trump also criticised the crackdown on democracy in Venezuela -- but had little to say about Russia and did not mention climate change, a topic of major concern to the United Nations.

Calling it a "disciplined" effort, Gowan said "a lot of the speech, especially the constant references to God, seemed designed for a domestic audience rather than the foreign dignitaries at the UN."