AILSA CHANG, HOST: The words between the U.S. and North Korea this week have been blunt, provocative and personal.</s>PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: No nation on Earth has an interest in seeing this band of criminals arm itself with nuclear weapons and missiles.</s>AILSA CHANG, HOST: That's President Donald Trump speaking Tuesday before the U.N. General Assembly just 16 days after North Korea's latest nuclear test and less than a week after North Korea launched a ballistic missile over Japan.</s>PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: The United States has great strength and patience, but if it is forced to defend itself or its allies, we will have no choice but to totally destroy North Korea. Rocket Man is on a suicide mission for himself and for his regime.</s>KELLY MCEVERS, HOST: Yesterday, North Korea's leader, Kim Jong Un, responded with a lengthy statement. He characterized Trump's remarks as quote, "unprecedented rude nonsense," adding, a frightened dog barks louder.</s>AILSA CHANG, HOST: Kim lectured the U.S. president, calling his behavior mentally deranged.</s>KELLY MCEVERS, HOST: And he demeaned Trump's rhetoric, saying he was, quote, "surely a rogue and a gangster fond of playing with fire rather than a politician."</s>AILSA CHANG, HOST: And a final jab - Kim said Trump was a dotard. That's an old person, especially one who has become weak or senile.</s>KELLY MCEVERS, HOST: Today President Trump struck back with a tweet. He called Kim Jong Un a mad man, adding that the North Korean dictator will be tested like never before.
The rhetoric between President Trump and North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un turned into a volley of insults this week after Trump referred to the dictator as "Rocketman" at the United Nations.