For the first time in his brief tenure as president, President Trump addressed the United Nations General Assembly amidst growing concerns of the North Korean nuclear threat, as well as the ever-present danger of global terrorism.

With White House Chief of Staff John Kelly and First Lady Melania Trump, among others, in attendance, the president scolded the Iranian government for continuing to harbor terrorists and updated the body on the fight to eliminate ISIS from Syria and Iraq.

Trump’s resolute message to North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un, however, drew the most attention. It was a measured yet stern warning to the communist dictator, who the president has nicknamed ‘Rocket Man,’ and one necessary to convey that the United States means business when it comes to the safety of its people.

It’s understandable to see why some might disagree with the president’s verbiage; after all, Kim and his regime are said to be unhinged and unpredictable.

Read Trump’s full speech to the U.N. General Assembly here

What people need to realize is that Trump’s wordage is precisely what is needed to keep deranged authoritarians like Kim from amassing enough courage to fire nuclear warheads at the U.S. mainland or its territories.

“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,” the president said.

What’s wrong with this statement? The United States, going back decades, has exercised more than enough tolerance towards this rogue nation, and all the president expressed here is that the military he dutifully commands will flex its muscle if Kim strikes the country he took a sworn oath to protect.

In fact, it’s not even the most aggressive language the former real estate tycoon has used regarding North Korea in the past few months.

On August 8, Trump promised to unleash “fire and fury like the world has never seen” in response to repeated threats of a nuclear strike from North Korea. This statement was just as, if not more likely, to induce a violent response from the Kim regime than what Trump said to the U.N. It didn’t, so why should we believe that this latest speech will?

Trump even mentioned that he hopes destroying North Korea won’t be necessary, even though the U.S. is ready if need be, citing that settling a conflict like this is what the U.N. is here for.

Again, bellicose remarks like we heard today aren’t new; this president has made the security and well-being of the United States a top priority from the get-go, and it doesn’t seem like his comments in front of the U.N. General Assembly did anything to jeopardize that safety. If anything, it’s just another example of the ‘America First’ stance he’s decided to take.

Besides, what’s wrong with vehemently standing up for the nation you represent?

The speech was a true defense of American sovereignty with no apologies or retreat, and one that ought to be commended on both sides of the aisle.