Yesterday, President Trump promised Lena Dunham Kim Jong Un “fire and fury” if he continued his march toward developing a nuke capable of being delivered by an ICBM.

While what Trump said was ‘inartfully worded’ it was very much in line with what has been said by Nikki Haley, JCS Chairman Joseph Dunford, and NS adviser H. R. McMaster. Moments ago, Secretary of Defense James Mattis weighed in on the issue.

“The United States and our allies have the demonstrated capabilities and unquestionable commitment to defend ourselves from an attack. Kim Jong Un should take heed of the United Nations Security Council’s unified voice, and statements from governments the world over, who agree the DPRK poses a threat to global security and stability. The DPRK must choose to stop isolating itself and stand down its pursuit of nuclear weapons. The DPRK should cease any consideration of actions that would lead to the end of its regime and the destruction of its people.

“President Trump was informed of the growing threat last December and on taking office his first orders to me emphasized the readiness of our ballistic missile defense and nuclear deterrent forces. While our State Department is making every effort to resolve this global threat through diplomatic means, it must be noted that the combined allied militaries now possess the most precise, rehearsed and robust defensive and offensive capabilities on Earth. The DPRK regime’s actions will continue to be grossly overmatched by ours and would lose any arms race or conflict it initiates.”

The statement in italics is as close to a threat to use a nuclear weapon as I believe I have seen in my lifetime. Mattis doesn’t stop at saying we will destroy the regime, the stakes are “destuction of its people.”

It is impossible to read what is being said by everyone in the administration and not conclude that we will not wait until North Korea is capable of hitting the US with a nuclear weapon to strike.