A wave of shock rippled through Twitter and the media after President Trump called North Korean President Kim Jong Un a "Rocket Man" in his speech before the United Nations Tuesday.

"'Rocket man' made the TelePrompTer?!?!" "Meet the Press" host Chuck Todd tweeted.

Another person wrote on Twitter that Trump's use of the term showed that he doesn't grasp the severity of the situation.

Oh, I think Trump knows EXACTLY what he is doing.

Remember when he ran against "Lyin' Ted" Cruz and "Little Marco" Rubio in the primaries? Then, when he beat all of his GOP contenders, he ran – and won – against "Crooked Hillary" Clinton in the presidential election.

Kim Jong Un might be using missiles as his weapon of choice but when President Trump goes into battle, his weapon of choice seems to be ridicule – and a catchy nickname to make it stick.

Trump first debuted the nickname "Rocket Man" on Twitter over the weekend but pulled it out again at the United Nations on Tuesday, saying in his speech to the U.N. General Assembly:

"No nation on Earth has an interest in 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 or its allies, we will have no choice but to totally destroy North Korea. Rocket man is on a suicide mission for himself and for his regime. The United States is ready, willing, and able, but hopefully this will not be necessary. That's what the United Nations is all about. That's what the United Nations is for. Let's see how they do."

Oh, it's hard to count the multitude of ways this new moniker in the Trump ridicule machine works on so many levels. It's insulting without being vulgar. It pigeonholes Kim down to his missile-test mania. And it's even the title of one of the most popular pop songs of all time making it so easy to remember, parody, and enjoy. So you know who's responsible when you hear "Rocket Man" on the radio even more than the usual 150 times per week right now.

President Trump may be the Commander-in-Chief, but he's really the Marketer-in-Chief. And he may now be on the verge of marketing Kim Jong Un right out of power.

Think about it: Kim Jong Un's most important commodity at his disposal is fear. That nuclear and missile program-created fear makes him a factor in a world that would otherwise not even care if he existed. Kim is certainly not loved outside his own country, and maybe not even in his own country, but he is not ignored or taken lightly.

Look for the president and the entire Trump team to start using this title when discussing Kim Jong Un more and more in the coming days and weeks. Trump's already made it clear that he's not afraid to use it anywhere — even on the floor of the United Nations.

This strategy stands in contrast to what seems like an unwarranted tradition of using the titles and honorifics enemy foreign leaders bestow upon themselves. For example, what is the purpose exactly of referring to Iran's theocratic dictator in presidential speeches as "supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei?" What makes him the "supreme leader?" Was he elected democratically? Isn't "supreme" laying it on a little thick? You get the point.

Here in the U.S., it's always been very nice that when presidents run for re-election, even their opponents have traditionally referred to them as either "Mr. President," or used the "President" title before their last names every time. It's polite, but it's a heck of a concession to make to an opponent. And President Trump isn't likely to return the favor by using official titles if he's challenged by a sitting senator, governor, or other elected official in 2020.