Cushioned in a conference room surrounded by a team of his advisors, President Trump’s statement had the tone of a gunslinger in a Western movie rather than the most powerful man in the free world. His statement claimed that “North Korea best not make any more threats to the United States. They will be met with fire and fury like the world has never seen.” But, he is gravely wrong. The world has seen the effects of nuclear power and what we know is that it does not solve the problem, it acts as a temporary solution -if you call murdering millions a sensible solution - to global fighting while exacerbating the instability in an already fragile balance of power.

Yes, the President’s duty is to protect the interests of his people and serve them as best as he could, however, riling up an unpredictable and seemingly uncontrollable entity fails to protect the nation. Inflammatory and tough speech just places the country in even more danger. The effects of nuclear power is seen in our history books, the media and global politics. It has influenced the lives of millions of people trying to feel safe in a global climate filled with more dangers than we can keep track of, with some of them being the entities designed to provide security.

Do we really want another Hiroshima? According to CNN, the Hiroshima bomb, “Little Boy” instantaneously killed 80,000 people with the death toll amounting to a total of 192,020 after accounting for nuclear fallout. “Little Boy’s” successor, “Fat Man” instantly killed 70,000 people in Nagasaki. The bombs may have ended the world war but it started another dispute that would persist for decades, politically and culturally. In an event as desperate as World War II, President Truman’s actions killed millions but it did end a war that consumed the world for 6 years, or more in certain countries. The difference between President Trump and President Truman is that the latter actually had a war to stop, meanwhile the former seems intent on starting a war.

President Trump’s words might appear strong but in reality they are the coward’s way out. The need to brush his ego and assert dominance ends up limiting the respect he receives and wreaks havoc on international relations. What is more alarming, or reassuring, is the apparent disregard elected officials give in response to the President’s threats. Regardless of how you see it, the fact that the most senior and experienced Congressmen and women admit to being wary of the current administration’s proposals is a testament to the fractious state of America’s government and the effect it has on global politics.

White House Chief of Staff, John Kelly, attempted to temper the President’s media use but it’s clear in the face of fire, fury and fake news, asserting squeamish power is more important than limiting the eminent threat posed by another like-minded power. This is not a matter of how many followers he has or how many of his supporters will stand by him or what course of action will make him appear weak, this could mean life or death for millions. Regardless of nationality, the top priority should be security and rationality in the face of ignorance and releasing a nuclear missile or bomb that could match or exceed the power of Hiroshima is not what the world needs and it is not what America needs. The executive branch’s actions do not just affect America, or North Korea or Guam, they affect foreign affairs and they either have the potential to bring stability and quell global tensions or they could exacerbate animosity and encourage nuclear aggression.