US President Donald Trump took to Twitter early Sunday (3 September) morning to slam North Korea as a "rogue nation" that has become a "great threat" after Pyongyang claimed to have successfully tested a miniaturised hydrogen bomb that can be mounted on a missile. The president responded to North Korea's announcement with a series of tweets taking aim at both China and South Korea as well that immediately drew a fierce backlash on Twitter.

"North Korea has conducted a major Nuclear Test," Trump wrote in a series of tweets. "Their words and actions continue to be very hostile and dangerous to the United States. North Korea is a rogue nation which has become a great threat and embarrassment to China, which is trying to help but with little success.

"South Korea is finding, as I have told them, that their talk of appeasement with North Korea will not work, they only understand one thing!"

He later tweeted that he would be meeting officials and military leaders to discuss the next days and warned that the US was considering halting all trade with countries doing business with North Korea "in addition to other options".

Twitter furiously slammed Trump for his "rash" and "petulant" response to North Korea.

"This isn't a video game. You can't just type in a Nuclear code and win the game!" one Twitter user wrote: "This is real life, and you need to avoid Nuclear weapons at all cost. Don't play with innocent lives in North Korea or the US."

Many people also criticised the president for openly tweeting about the nation's plans to deal with North Korea during a crisis saying "this is one of the scariest moments in US history".

"How can we be safe under Trump's leadership?" Eugene Gu, president and CEO of the Ganogen Research Institute, tweeted. "We need smart leadership during this crisis, not some racist clown with ego issues."

"Trump's lack of basic knowledge, tact, and humanity is a huge liability for us and the rest of the world," writer Dani Bostick tweeted. "Trump is all over the map. Aimlessness and empty threats are not sound strategy.

"If he cuts off trade with China, will it apply to his own made-in-china business?"

Democrats also warned the president against sounding off on Twitter. Representative Adam Schiff tweeted: ".@POTUS it's not the time to attack our allies or for more bellicose tweets, but rather comprehensive strategy to halt North Korea programmes."

"The public undermining of our ally South Korea by @realDonaldTrump is not only short sighted, it will further embolden North Korea," Representative Ted Lieu tweeted. In an interview on ABC's "This Week", Representative Joaquin Castro said getting into a "Twitter shouting match with a 32-year-old dictator in North Korea" is "not helpful and may have "unfortunately escalated the tension in the situation."

"He needs to let his diplomats, and his military generals and others, handle this situation," Castro said.

"Your impeachment can't come soon enough, for the sake of the entire planet," one Twitter user said.

Let's not go to war Donald. — Gerren Peterson (@GerrenPeterson) September 3, 2017

Even with hurricanes, wildfires, climate change, and the threat of nuclear war, our greatest threat of annihilation is an incompetent leader — Eugene Gu, MD (@eugenegu) September 3, 2017

Remember, this isn't a video game. You can't just type in a Nuclear code and win the game! — Ed Krassenstein (@EdKrassen) September 3, 2017

We need a Leader Who isn't senile, and who doesn't have the mentality of a 1st grader to Stair Down Jong-Un, Not YOU!! — Impeach Donald Trump (@Impeach_D_Trump) September 3, 2017

The last thing the world needs is another Kim Jong Un in the WH. But Trumpâs reckless statements indicate heâs no different. — Anirvan Ghosh (@anirvanghosh) September 3, 2017

Calling out South Korea earlier was tactless and reckless. We all deserve better. — Dani Bostick (@danibostick) September 3, 2017

Why don't you make a decision before tweeting your strategy out to the world? This is moronic! — Impeach Donald Trump (@Impeach_D_Trump) September 3, 2017

Did you clear this with the generals first before tweeting it to the planet? — Impeach Donald Trump (@Impeach_D_Trump) September 3, 2017

For once, keep your stubby fingers off your phone (and the nuclear trigger, thank you!), and let the @StateDept do its job. — Tom Shafer (@TomShafShafer) September 3, 2017

You will never stop all trade with China. This is a childish thing to say. This statement tells NKorea they are dealing with a child. — Lawrence O'Donnell (@Lawrence) September 3, 2017

WHO IS THIS NINCOMPOOP THANKING? — Rogue CPI (@RogueCPI) September 3, 2017

Mattis stood in front of the West Wing, telling me and other reporters Trump had weighed âthe total annihilation" of North Korea.â Shocking — Tara McKelvey (@Tara_Mckelvey) September 3, 2017

Trump keeps tweeting that everyone elseâs North Korea strategy has proved a failure, as if heâs not responsible at all for the past 7 months — Sam Stein (@samstein) September 3, 2017

He's ruling every good diplomatic relationship forged since WWII. This man is single handedly creating WWIII — Shari (@ShariFreeWill) September 3, 2017

Q: "Mr. President, will you attack North Korea?"



Trump: "We'll see." (via ITV) pic.twitter.com/lriDHowGj0 — Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) September 3, 2017

Can we hurry up and get this asshat out of the Oval before he retreats to his bunker while the rest of us are annihilated? — Dena Brown (@DenaDenaleo) September 3, 2017

Situation w N Korea is most dangerous in world. It has grown acutely more dangerous under Trump. He has mismanaged at every turn. — David Rothkopf (@djrothkopf) September 3, 2017

Like my mom always said...nothing makes National Prayer Day special like threats of nuclear war.



Thank you Trump for making today special! — Tony Posnanski (@tonyposnanski) September 3, 2017

SHUT UP!!!! — Bishop Talbert Swan (@TalbertSwan) September 3, 2017

Oh wait...it led to them threatening Guam, launching a missle over Japan and now testing an H bomb. — Jonathan Wier (@JonKMBZ) September 3, 2017

I know this is asking a lot this late in the game but would you please grow up — The Mountain Goats (@mountain_goats) September 3, 2017

Flummoxed by the Korea that is menacing the world, @POTUS inexplicably goes after the Korea that is our ally! ð³https://t.co/5yeDfh4yEU — David Axelrod (@davidaxelrod) September 3, 2017

What's worse, a country thousands and thousands of miles away with nuclear bombs or a President leading our country who has gone nuclear? — Ed Krassenstein (@EdKrassen) September 3, 2017

I just hope that John Kelly Gave you his cell phone number instead of the actual nuclear codes. — Impeach Donald Trump (@Impeach_D_Trump) September 3, 2017

Thank god we have you and your Twitter account to protect us. — Elliott Lusztig (@ezlusztig) September 3, 2017

So Donald, how do you solve a problem like Korea? — Paul Grimley (@LPP2014) September 3, 2017

Trump is like a cold cup of covfefe made from the dregs of democracy. — Eugene Gu, MD (@eugenegu) September 3, 2017

Kudos to humanity for manuevering ourselves into a situation where all our lives depend on the wisdom of Kim Jong-un and Donald Trump — Jon Schwarz (@tinyrevolution) September 3, 2017

Donld Trump and Kim Jong-un: equally preposterous, empty men whose clash of egos could incinerate millions. — GeorgeMonbiot (@GeorgeMonbiot) September 4, 2017

Surely US threatening "total annihilation" reinforces dictator Kim Jong-un's paranoia and drive for nuke WMD. Trump blundering badly. Again — Kevin Maguire (@Kevin_Maguire) September 4, 2017

Trump picked a great day to threaten a trade war with S. Korea. Can we please impeach this incompetent! https://t.co/xRvXLiAVC8 — Amy Siskind (@Amy_Siskind) September 3, 2017

Two weeks ago, my TL was filled with "Trump made Kim back down!"



Uh huh. — Rick Wilson (@TheRickWilson) September 3, 2017

Time to ' do a President Nixon' on petulant child Trump and put the nuclear button out of the reach of his impulsive fingers — Paul Flynn (@PaulFlynnMP) September 4, 2017

Trump again threatening war with N. Korea on Twitter. The highest risk of war comes from diplomatic miscalculation. Tweets magnify that risk https://t.co/XeTUVbfeoG — Brian Klaas (@brianklaas) September 3, 2017