The top US nuclear commander has said that if President Trump ordered a nuclear attack that he disagreed with he would refuse.

Air Force General John Hyten on Saturday told an audience at the Halifax International Security Forum in Nova Scotia that he's thought a lot about what he will do if Trump orders a strike he considers illegal.

'I think some people think we're stupid,' Hyten said, responding to a question about the scenario, according to CBS News. He is the commander of the US Strategic Command, or STRATCOM.

'We're not stupid people. We think about these things a lot. When you have this responsibility, how do you not think about it?'

Hyten said though that if the 'illegal' command did come, they would go through a process to find a better solution.

Air Force General John Hyten on Saturday told an audience at the Halifax International Security Forum in Nova Scotia that if President Trump ordered a nuclear attack that was 'illegal' he would refuse. Hyten is pictured in April during a hearing on Capitol Hill

Hyten said though that if the 'illegal' command did come, they would go through a process and work with President Trump to find a better solution. Trump is pictured on Friday after meeting with House Republicans about tax reform

'I provide advice to the president, he will tell me what to do,' Hyten explained.

But, he said, if the command was 'illegal' he would tell him so, and said that together they would come up with other options.

'We'll come up with options, with a mix of capabilities to respond to whatever the situation is and that's the way it works,' he explained.

'It's not that complicated.'

Hyten has trained every year for multiple decades on the law of armed conflict, he told the audience.

The law of armed conflict takes into account certain factors to determine if attacks are legal, including necessity, distinction, proportionality, and unnecessary suffering, among others.

He said that thinking about how to respond in the event of an illegal order is standard, and that he wouldn't execute an unlawful order because of the consequences.

'If you execute an unlawful order, you will go to jail. You could go to jail for the rest of your life,' he explained.

These comments come following Trump's most recent flagrant comments about North Korea. He is pictured during a joint press conference with South Korean President Moon Jae In on November 7

On November 11, Trump tweeted: 'Why would Kim Jong-un insult me by calling me "old," when I would NEVER call him "short and fat?" Oh well, I try to hard to be his friend - and maybe someday that will happen!'

These comments come following Trump's most recent flagrant comments about North Korea.

On November 11, Trump tweeted: 'Why would Kim Jong-un insult me by calling me "old," when I would NEVER call him "short and fat?" Oh well, I try to hard to be his friend - and maybe someday that will happen!'

The comment was received poorly by the North Korean leader, who later announced that Trump deserved the death penalty for such remarks.

Trump has also, on numerous occasions, pledged to unleash 'fire and fury' and to 'totally destroy' North Korea if he deems fit.

Trump has also, on numerous occasions, pledged to unleash 'fire and fury' and to 'totally destroy' North Korea if he deems fit

Congress is also currently re-examining the authorization of the use of military force and power to launch a nuclear strike.

Hyten said the military is on constant alert - ready at any time to respond to a nuclear threat by North Korea.

'We are ready every minute of every day to respond to any event that comes out of North Korea,' he said on Saturday.

He also explained that handling such a delicate and unpredictable situation - like Kim Jong Un's leadership - needs to be an international effort.

Trump has continued to put pressure on China to help manage its communist neighbor, and tweeted after returning that things were looking up.

'China is sending an Envoy and Delegation to North Korea - A big move, we'll see what happens,' he tweeted on Thursday.