Nikki Haley says Trump’s ‘Rocket Man’ nickname is taking off

President Donald Trump’s speech to the United Nations Tuesday already has had one clear effect on international discourse: other world leaders are picking up his “Rocket Man” nickname for North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, according to U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley.

Asked by George Stephanopoulos on ABC News if it was appropriate for Trump to refer to Kim by the nickname in a U.N. speech, Haley said others have also used “Rocket Man” when referring to Kim with her.

“I was talking to the president of an African country yesterday, and he cited ‘Rocket Man’ back to me,” Haley said. “Every other international community is now referring to him as ‘Rocket Man.’ ”

Haley repeated the story on CBS This Morning – and identified the African leader as the president of Uganda, Yoweri Museveni.

“He was referring to Kim as ‘Rocket Man’ before the president even gave the speech,” Haley said.

Even after Trump threatened to totally destroy North Korea over its nuclear and missile programs, Haley emphasized the United States “doesn’t want war.”

“We tried to do this through dialogue. We tried to do this through sanctions. we've tried every diplomatic matter we can, and we're not giving up on that,” Haley said.

While Trump’s statements provoked apprehension in some areas, Haley insisted the president’s approach was well-received.

“The international community very much appreciates the blunt, honest approach the president took on North Korea as well as Iran,” she said.

This story was originally published September 21, 2017 at 10:17 AM with the headline "Nikki Haley says Trump’s ‘Rocket Man’ nickname is taking off."