U.S. Sen. Ed Markey, D-Massachusetts, took issue Tuesday with President Donald Trump's threat to "totally destroy" North Korea if provoked, contending that the United States should instead pursue "sustained diplomacy and engagement with the international community."

Markey, who serves as the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee's East Asia, the Pacific and International Cybersecurity subpanel, argued that the president "wasted the opportunity to emphasize strategic diplomacy" during his remarks at the United Nations General Assembly.

The Massachusetts Democrat further renewed his call for the Trump administration to move forward with diplomacy and sanctions -- not fiery rhetoric and threats.

"President Trump used his address today to threaten North Korea with complete destruction instead of offering real solutions and uniting the international community behind them," he said in a statement. "The United States should be building an international consensus to engage Pyongyang in direct negotiations, use sanctions to close North Korea for business and peacefully freeze and eventually roll back North Korea's ballistic missile and nuclear programs."

These goals, he added, "are only achievable through sustained diplomacy and engagement with the international community, including China and Russia -- not through escalatory rhetoric and bombastic threats."

Markey's comments came just hours after Trump told more than 150 international delegations at the annual U.N. General Assembly in New York that the United States may "have no choice but to totally destroy" Pyongyang.

Contending that North Korea's "reckless pursuit of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles threatens the entire world with unthinkable loss of human life," Trump said called on U.N. countries to "work together and confront together those who threaten us with chaos, turmoil and terror."

"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 United States is ready, willing and able, but hopefully this will not be necessary -- that's what the United Nations is all about," he said, adding that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un "is on a suicide mission for himself and for his regime."

Although the president's remarks drew criticism from Markey and others, Trump's campaign touted it as a show of the Republican's leadership.

Michael S. Glassner, executive director of Donald J. Trump for President, Inc., contended that the president's supporters "should take pride in President Trump's strong and principled speech before the world's leaders at the United Nations today where he expressed profound and unwavering America First principles."

"The president described a new vision, putting Americans first while holding nations accountable to contribute their fair share towards world peace and condemning those who support rogue nations and terrorists," he said in a statement. "We agree with former U.N Ambassador John Bolton that this was the 'best speech of his presidency.' Foreign leaders should make note that President Trump is bringing his agenda to drain the swamp from Washington to the world."