On Tuesday, Trump warned that "North Korea best not make any more threats to the United States," adding: "They will be met with fire and fury like the world has never seen."
On Thursday. Trump said he might not have gone far enough two days before. "If anything, maybe that statement wasn't tough enough and we are backed by 100% by our military, we are backed by everybody and we are backed by many other leader," he said.
Then, on Friday morning, Trump took to Twitter to up the ante with North Korea yet again: "Military solutions are now fully in place, locked and loaded, should North Korea act unwisely. Hopefully Kim Jong Un will find another path!"
"Fire and fury."
"Locked and loaded."
What Trump has made clear – again – over the last four days is how much of what he does (and thinks) has to do with projecting strength. With never letting someone have the last word. With using purposefully provocative language to antagonize.