Some critics, including top Democrats and Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), disagreed with the president’s rhetoric, which some saw as threatening a nuclear confrontation.

“I’m not sure how that helps,” said McCain.

Gorka, a deputy assistant to the president, said the message to Pyongyang from Trump is clear: “Don’t test this White House.”

“We were a superpower. We are now a hyperpower. Nobody in the world, especially not North Korea, comes close to challenging our military capabilities,” he said.