tat war of words between donald trump and kim jong-un. insults are flying in both directions. the dangers couldn't be greater. on tuesday president trump threatened to wipe north korea off the map and he gave the country's young leader a nickname. let's watch that. >> 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. rocketman is on a suicide mission for himself and for his regime. >> well, yesterday kim jong-un responded attacking president trump threatening to paying him pay dearly. that goaded president trump to respond this morning via twitter, quote, kim jong-un of north korea is obviously a mad man who doesn't mind starving or killing his people will be tested like nothing he's seen before. is there any strategy behind trump's name calling? we'll go back with john swan of axios. here is the thing. i don't take moral equivalence. kim jong-un is the aggressor. he's building nuclear weapons threaten to use them against the united states. we're not advancing past the 38

and for his regime. >> well yesterday kim jong-un responded attacking president trump threatening to paying him pay dearly. that goaded president trump to respond this morning via twitter, quote, kim jong-un of north korea is obviously a mad man who doesn't mind starving or killing his people will be tested like nothing he's seen before. both of you look, here's the thing. i don't take moral equivalence here for a second. kim jong-un is the aggressor. he's building nuclear weapons threaten to use them against the united states. we're not advancing past the 38th parallel toward him. he may feel threatened but that's psychological. he's threatening us with weapons. why does this president think this high school routine is going to force the guy to close in about himself and give up his nuclear weapons. >> he knows nothing about anything. he's a bully. this is how he's blusedder through his entire life, business and television. >> it worked. it got him the presidency. >> exactly. he thinks it's right. >> treat him like little marco. >> the real downside is that china wants to separate u

yourself. another day, another nickname for trump. he's calling kim jong-un rocket man. wars started by name calling. it's like trump's on the campaign trail, i guess he thinks, against north korean dictators. let me finish with trump watch. this is "hardball" where the action is. as they age and grow. whether it be with customer contracts, agreements to lease a space or protecting your work. legalzoom's network of attorneys can help you, every step of the way. so you can focus on what you do and we'll handle the legal stuff that comes up along the way. legalzoom. legal help is here. we are the tv doctors of america, and we may not know much about medicine, but we know a lot about drama. from scandalous romance, to ridiculous plot twists. (gasping) son? dad! we also know you can avoid drama by getting an annual check-up. so we're partnering with cigna to remind you to go see a real doctor. go, know, and take control of your health. it could save your life. doctor poses! dad! cigna. together, all the way. >>> president trump says he's considering holding a military parade on t

that country's leader, kim jong-un calling him rocketman. let's watch. >> no nation on earth has an interest of seeing this band of criminals arm itself with nuclear weapons and missiles. the united states has great strength and patience. but if it is forced to defend itself for his allies, we will have no choice but to totally destroy north korea. rocketman is on a suicide mission for himself open for his regime. >> so what's behind this talk? is this about feetding his base? he's talking to the world and i understand whatever president trump says is going to all around the world, hundreds of countrie countries. but what's the point of saying so? what does he gain in the world by trashing that part of the world that's having the worst time right now? >> i think there's a way to talk honestly and openly about deficiencies in the united nationed. he's not wrong when he talks about the mismanagement of the united nations but he on skbscu that message with his rhetoric. we've never seen an address by either president from either party to the leaders of the world like that with really t

. >> and kim jong-un cares only about himself. this is the point. we're dealing with someone here who we don't know his entire mental state. the worst thing we can do is create a miscalculation. and i think that's why we have, that's why president trump's rhetoric, i think, has been very dangerous. look. we're in the u.n. trying to get energy sanctions against them. china needs to cooperate. >> is he hard to blame? >> who? >> president trump? >> for this crisis. >> i think he's escalated it. he is not to blal for them having a nuclear program. it don't blame everything on donald trump. but to me, the scariest part thus far has been that we know from past crises that what you don't want is a miscalculation and cause -- >> do you trust jim mattis, the secretary of defense on, holding out? >> i think that the secretary of defense is a good influence there and so is the national security adviser. i think he understands what the, what would happen if we attack. >> you don't think this is a wag the dog situation, do you? >> no, no. the wag the dog didn't involved millions being killed. >> let'

more does kim jong-un -- go exactly. >> -- need to know. >> that's very smart. you're actually talking consequence, which i think this president should really honor. anyway, the round table is sticking with us. this is "hardball," where the action is. ask your doctor about humira. it's proven to help relieve pain and protect joints from further irreversible damage in many adults. humira works by targeting and helping to block a specific source of inflammation that contributes to ra symptoms. humira has been clinically studied for over 20 years. humira can lower your ability to fight infections, including tuberculosis. serious, sometimes fatal infections and cancers, including lymphoma, have happened; as have blood, liver, and nervous system problems, serious allergic reactions, and new or worsening heart failure. before treatment, get tested for tb. tell your doctor if you've been to areas where certain fungal infections are common, and if you've had tb, hepatitis b, are prone to infections, or have flu-like symptoms or sores. don't start humira if you have an infection. ready

community. i don't think beijing could change kim jong-un's mind but what china can do is influence the senior advisers around them administration make them realize it's no longer in their interest to maintain the weapons programs and maybe china could say to these guys, it's no longer in your interest to support kim. china can do that if he wants to. it doesn't want to. and clearly we have not given the incentive to china to make them go down to path. but we have the power. >> we mentioned this a moment ago, former secretary of state, defeated presidential candidate hillary clinton told rachel maddow that the state department under the trump administration is not equipped to deal with north korea. take a look. >> diplomacy with north korea is complicated. it requires people who know the language, the customs, the history. we have decimated our state department, foreign service officers with decades of experience have either been ignored or in some cases pushed so hard that they have resigned. >> so we know there's validity to the idea that the state department is understaffed right