WASHINGTON — With President Donald Trump, a good enemy deserves a good nickname.
In his debut appearance before the U.N. General Assembly Tuesday, Trump embraced his latest label — calling North Korean leader Kim Jong Un “Rocket Man.”
An apparent reference to the Elton John song, which Trump sometimes played at campaign rallies, “Rocket Man” is the latest Trump-nickname to enter his colorful lexicon. During the 2016 race, he battled with Sen. Marco Rubio (“Little Marco”), Sen. Ted Cruz (“Lyin’ Ted”) and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton (“Crooked Hillary”).
“Rocket Man is on a suicide mission for himself,” said Trump as he addressed the General Assembly. He previously used “Rocket Man” on Twitter Sunday.
Trump’s mockery of the dictator quickly became a trending topic on Twitter, where users shared memes of Kim sitting at a piano wearing the oversized sunglasses that were part of John’s signature look in the 1970s. Others shared images of Kim riding a missile like a horse. One Twitter user noted that The Economist magazine used the term to describe Kim’s father on a 2006 cover.