Why Did Kim Jong-un Call Donald Trump “Dotard?”

The word “dotard” has started trending after Kim Jong-un used it to describe President Donald Trump.

But… what does it mean? Is it accurate or offensive?

North Korea’s dictator Kim Jong-un released a statement on Thursday, criticizing US President Trump for his antagonistic speech at the UN. You might remember hearing about the speech, particularly this moment when Trump seemingly forgot Kim Jong-un’s name and called him “Rocket Man”.

Kim returned fire in this war of words… In his statement, Kim says of Trump, “He is unfit to hold the prerogative of supreme command of a country, and he is surely a rogue and a gangster. Action is the best option in treating the dotard who, hard of hearing, is uttering only what he wants to say.”  Kim ends the statement with, “I will surely and definitely tame the mentally deranged U.S. dotard with fire.”

Kim’s words caused quite a stir in the United States, especially one word in particular

Mirriam-Webster tweets, “Kim Jong Un calls Trump a mentally deranged U.S. dotard. Searches for ‘dotard’ are high as a kite.” Because, let’s be honest, it sounds offensive AND made up specifically for Donald Trump.

So, what does it mean, anyways? According to Miriam-Webster, a dotard is “a person in his or her dotage,” which is “a state or period of senile decay marked by decline of mental poise and alertness.”

Kim Jong-un is calling Trump senile?

Would a senile old man forget his wife came on a trip with him to Florida even though she’s standing right next to him?

But “Dotard?” Where does that insult come from?  How come Rocket Man know more better English than me?

It turns out the North Korean reporters have very old translation books. Associated Press reporter Jean H Lee tweets, “I’ve been inside [Korea Central News Agency’s] newsroom. They’re using very old Korean-English dictionaries.”

And “dotard” is the closest word in English the North Korean news agency could find. South Korean journalist Jihye Lee tweets, “The Korean original statement [literally translates to] “old beast lunatic” — which was translated into “dotard.”

Regardless of how you translate it, it’s an insult that’s got social media buzzing.

What do you think of this nuclear war of words? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter at @WhatsTrending.