On September 17, President Trump mocked Kim Jong-un about the North Korean leader's nuclear ambitions. After the US president discussed North Korea with South Korean president Moon Jae-in by phone, he published a tweet, where he labeled Kim a "rocket man."
I spoke with President Moon of South Korea last night. Asked him how Rocket Man is doing. Long gas lines forming in North Korea. Too bad!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) 17 сентября 2017 г.
Putting aside the escalation of tensions on the Korean Peninsula, most Twitter users brought into focus Trump's reference to the North Korean leader and launched an unstoppable hurricane of memes and jokes.
Kim Jong Un-stable is "Rocket Man"
— 🇺🇸🎙A.D. WHITMAN (@AD_WHITMAN) 17 сентября 2017 г.
Cc: @POTUS @realDonaldTrump
pic.twitter.com/QiULCaxrQ8
Kim Jung-Un as the "Rocket Man"
— Jose Vazquez (@JLVazquez06) 17 сентября 2017 г.
Or 1 Rocket Man pic.twitter.com/B1ahbg9adD
Trump has called Kim Jong Un "Rocket Man" — it's all over for the North Korean Leader. NOBODY has survived once Trump bestows a nickname. pic.twitter.com/jC5p094tJW
— Trump Image Library (@TrumpLibrary) 17 сентября 2017 г.
Some netizens suggested Mr. Trump took inspiration from Elton John's classic hit song, the 1972 "Rocket Man."
Rocket Man sounds like an Elton John song Trump was listening to while trying to craft world policies.
— Eugene Gu, MD (@eugenegu) 17 сентября 2017 г.
LOVE IT 🚀@realDonaldTrump nicknames Kim Jong Un..#rocketman 🚀 here's a little Elton John's rocket man pic.twitter.com/BxxQ8DFif0
— 'Gitmo' Bama (@President1Trump) 17 сентября 2017 г.
As the lyrics go, "I'm not the man they think I am at home
Oh no, no, no! I'm a rocket man
Rocket man! Burning out his fuse up here alone…"
The thing about Rocket Man is: He's not the man they think he is at home. https://t.co/cbGzybfa0S
— Steven Shepard (@POLITICO_Steve) 17 сентября 2017 г.
Others even recalled that "Tiny Dancer" of the legendary English singer has been in heavy rotation as a prelude to Donald Trump's political rallies in 2016.
Tiny Dancer Mocks Rocket Man https://t.co/Wbszz8e9RM
— Kevin M. Kruse (@KevinMKruse) 17 сентября 2017 г.
Tiny Dancer Trump and Kim his Rocket Man.
— Nick Walden Poublon (@NWPinPDX) 18 сентября 2017 г.
Oh, what a world we live in.#RocketMan #KimJongUn #NorthKorea pic.twitter.com/QqGYXSs7E1
Much to the amusement of the social platform users, Kim's possible sarcastic reaction was offered by the popular parody Twitter account for "the supreme leader," created by comedy writer James Breakwell back in October 2014,
Donald Trump called me "Rocket Man."
— Kim Jong-un (@_Kim_Jongun) 17 сентября 2017 г.
Yeah, give me a cool nickname.
That will stop me.
Pete Souza, who was the Chief Official White House Photographer during the Obama Administration, responded to Trump's tweet with an Instagram post.
In April, Donald Trump called Kim Jong-un a "madman with nuclear weapons" during a phone conversation with Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte held on April 29.
