American Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said President Trump’s “fire and fury” warning to North Korea over threats to the United States earlier this year was not an empty threat.
Haley, speaking on CNN’s “State of the Union,” said Trump’s decision to not strike at North Korea after making that comment — seemingly a red line warning North Korea not to continue testing weapons that could threaten the United States — was responsible.
“It was not an empty threat. What we were doing is being responsible,” she said. ” Where North Korea was being irresponsible and reckless, we were using every diplomatic possibility that we could possibly do. We have pretty much exhausted everything we can do at the Security Council at this point.”
Haley said she’s “perfectly happy” to stop trying to use diplomatic means to get North Korea to fall in line and instead allow the military to step in and attack the hermit kingdom.
“If the United States has to defend itself or defend its allies in anyway, North Korea will be destroyed. We all know that and none of us want that,” she said.
“None of us want war, but we also have to look at the fact that you are dealing with someone who is being reckless, irresponsible, and is continuing to give threats, not only to the United States but to all of their allies, so something is going to have to be done. We’re trying every other possibility that we have, but there is a whole lot of military options on the table.”
As Trump prepares to speak before the U.N. General Assembly on Tuesday, Haley said he’s already changed the institution for the better.
She said Trump’s criticisms of the United Nations earlier this year, in which he said the institution is not a friend to the United States, were valid and have been fixed.
“Well, I think you have to look at the fact what he said at the time was accurate. I think we saw a United Nations where the United States was giving over 25 percent of the funding and being utterly disrespected, the United Nations was bashing Israel every chance they get,” she said.
“A United Nations that talked a lot, didn’t have a lot of action. Now we can say it is a new day at the U.N., what are you now seeing is the Israel bashing has become more balanced. ”
