diff --git a/.changeset/thirty-seas-jog.md b/.changeset/thirty-seas-jog.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..4734de4e7f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/thirty-seas-jog.md
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+---
+'@twilio-paste/menu': minor
+'@twilio-paste/core': minor
+---
+
+- [menu] add menu item destructive variant
diff --git a/packages/paste-core/components/menu/src/MenuItem.tsx b/packages/paste-core/components/menu/src/MenuItem.tsx
index 784a82bb5b..6fe646f70a 100644
--- a/packages/paste-core/components/menu/src/MenuItem.tsx
+++ b/packages/paste-core/components/menu/src/MenuItem.tsx
@@ -7,17 +7,17 @@ import {MenuItemVariants} from './constants';
 import {MenuGroupContext} from './MenuGroup';
 
 export const StyledMenuItem = React.forwardRef<HTMLDivElement | HTMLAnchorElement, MenuItemProps>(
-  ({element = 'STYLED_MENU_ITEM', ...props}, ref) => {
+  ({element = 'STYLED_MENU_ITEM', href, variant, tabIndex, children, ...props}, ref) => {
     return (
       <Box
-        {...(props.href && secureExternalLink(props.href))}
-        as={props.href ? 'a' : 'button'}
+        {...(href && secureExternalLink(href))}
+        as={href ? 'a' : 'button'}
         {...safelySpreadBoxProps(props)}
         element={element}
         appearance="none"
         background="none"
         border="none"
-        color={props['aria-disabled'] ? 'colorTextWeaker' : 'colorText'}
+        color={variant === MenuItemVariants.DESTRUCTIVE ? 'colorTextLinkDestructive' : 'colorText'}
         display="block"
         textAlign="left"
         fontFamily="inherit"
@@ -27,19 +27,19 @@ export const StyledMenuItem = React.forwardRef<HTMLDivElement | HTMLAnchorElemen
         margin="space0"
         outline="none"
         paddingY="space30"
-        paddingX={props.variant === MenuItemVariants.GROUP_ITEM ? 'space90' : 'space70'}
-        textDecoration={props.tabIndex === 0 ? 'underline' : 'none'}
+        paddingX={variant === MenuItemVariants.GROUP_ITEM ? 'space90' : 'space70'}
+        textDecoration={tabIndex === 0 ? 'underline' : 'none'}
         width="100%"
         _hover={{
           cursor: 'pointer',
         }}
         _focus={{
-          color: 'colorTextLink',
+          color: `${variant === MenuItemVariants.DESTRUCTIVE ? 'colorTextLinkDestructiveStronger' : 'colorTextLink'}`,
         }}
-        _disabled={{cursor: 'not-allowed'}}
+        _disabled={{color: 'colorTextWeaker', cursor: 'not-allowed'}}
         ref={ref}
       >
-        {props.children}
+        {children}
       </Box>
     );
   }
diff --git a/packages/paste-core/components/menu/src/constants.ts b/packages/paste-core/components/menu/src/constants.ts
index 4c78f5d6a7..736d6f43f7 100644
--- a/packages/paste-core/components/menu/src/constants.ts
+++ b/packages/paste-core/components/menu/src/constants.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 export const MenuItemVariants = {
   DEFAULT: 'default',
+  DESTRUCTIVE: 'destructive',
   GROUP_ITEM: 'group_item',
 } as const;
diff --git a/packages/paste-core/components/menu/stories/index.stories.tsx b/packages/paste-core/components/menu/stories/index.stories.tsx
index 94395ca3fd..b0cfd4ae67 100644
--- a/packages/paste-core/components/menu/stories/index.stories.tsx
+++ b/packages/paste-core/components/menu/stories/index.stories.tsx
@@ -27,6 +27,9 @@ const PlainMenu: React.FC = () => {
         <MenuItem {...menu} href="http://www.google.com" onClick={onClick}>
           Has a link
         </MenuItem>
+        <MenuItem {...menu} variant="destructive" href="http://www.google.com" onClick={onClick}>
+          Destructive link
+        </MenuItem>
         <MenuItem {...menu} disabled>
           Extensions
         </MenuItem>
@@ -276,6 +279,9 @@ export const MenuDropdown = (): React.ReactNode => {
   return (
     <Menu {...menuMockProps} aria-label={`Code ${uniqueMenuLabelID}`} placement="auto">
       <MenuItem {...menuItemMockProps}>Default</MenuItem>
+      <MenuItem {...menuItemMockProps} variant="destructive">
+        Destructive
+      </MenuItem>
       <MenuItem {...menuItemMockProps} disabled>
         Disabled
       </MenuItem>
@@ -308,11 +314,44 @@ export const MenuDropdown = (): React.ReactNode => {
           </MediaFigure>
         </MediaObject>
       </MenuItem>
+      <MenuItem variant="destructive" {...menuItemMockProps}>
+        Suuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuper long menu item
+      </MenuItem>
+      <MenuItem variant="destructive" {...menuItemMockProps}>
+        <MediaObject verticalAlign="center">
+          <MediaFigure spacing="space20">
+            <AttachIcon decorative={false} title="information" />
+          </MediaFigure>
+          <MediaBody>Got an icon</MediaBody>
+        </MediaObject>
+      </MenuItem>
+      <MenuItem variant="destructive" {...menuItemMockProps}>
+        <MediaObject verticalAlign="center">
+          <MediaBody>Got a right icon</MediaBody>
+          <MediaFigure spacing="space20" align="end">
+            <AttachIcon decorative={false} title="information" />
+          </MediaFigure>
+        </MediaObject>
+      </MenuItem>
+      <MenuItem variant="destructive" {...menuItemMockProps}>
+        <MediaObject verticalAlign="center">
+          <MediaFigure spacing="space20">
+            <AttachIcon decorative={false} title="information" />
+          </MediaFigure>
+          <MediaBody>Got two icons</MediaBody>
+          <MediaFigure spacing="space20" align="end">
+            <AttachIcon decorative={false} title="information" />
+          </MediaFigure>
+        </MediaObject>
+      </MenuItem>
       <MenuSeparator />
       <MenuGroup icon={<ProductVoiceIcon decorative />} label="Search Options">
         <MenuItem {...menuItemMockProps} href="https://google.com">
           Search with Google
         </MenuItem>
+        <MenuItem variant="destructive" {...menuItemMockProps} href="https://google.com">
+          Search with Yahoo
+        </MenuItem>
         <MenuItem {...menuItemMockProps} disabled>
           Search with Bing
         </MenuItem>
diff --git a/packages/paste-website/src/component-examples/MenuExamples.ts b/packages/paste-website/src/component-examples/MenuExamples.ts
index 6927a9d041..026a92cfe6 100644
--- a/packages/paste-website/src/component-examples/MenuExamples.ts
+++ b/packages/paste-website/src/component-examples/MenuExamples.ts
@@ -30,14 +30,14 @@ const MenuGroupExample = () => {
       </MenuButton>
       <Menu {...menu} aria-label="Actions">
         <MenuGroup label="Social media" icon={<AttachIcon decorative />}>
-          <MenuItem {...menu}>Twitter</MenuItem>  
-          <MenuItem {...menu}>Myspace</MenuItem>  
-          <MenuItem {...menu}>Dribbble</MenuItem>  
+          <MenuItem {...menu}>Twitter</MenuItem>
+          <MenuItem {...menu}>Myspace</MenuItem>
+          <MenuItem {...menu}>Dribbble</MenuItem>
         </MenuGroup>
         <MenuSeparator />
         <MenuGroup label="Search engines">
-          <MenuItem {...menu}>Ecosia</MenuItem>  
-          <MenuItem {...menu}>DuckDuckGo</MenuItem>  
+          <MenuItem {...menu}>Ecosia</MenuItem>
+          <MenuItem {...menu}>DuckDuckGo</MenuItem>
         </MenuGroup>
       </Menu>
     </>
@@ -154,6 +154,12 @@ const ItemsExample = () => {
         Menu item content <ChevronDownIcon decorative />
       </MenuButton>
       <Menu {...menu} aria-label="Preferences">
+      <MenuItem  {...menu}>
+        Default item
+      </MenuItem>
+      <MenuItem  variant="destructive" {...menu}>
+        Destructive item
+      </MenuItem>
         <MenuItem  {...menu}>
         <MediaObject verticalAlign="center">
           <MediaFigure spacing="space20">
diff --git a/packages/paste-website/src/pages/components/menu/index.mdx b/packages/paste-website/src/pages/components/menu/index.mdx
index b548a7f3d2..2c4717bec6 100644
--- a/packages/paste-website/src/pages/components/menu/index.mdx
+++ b/packages/paste-website/src/pages/components/menu/index.mdx
@@ -244,6 +244,8 @@ To do so, either set `href` with a valid url to go to a new page, or set the `on
   </CalloutText>
 </Callout>
 
+Use the `variant` prop in `MenuItem` to use a default or destructive item. We recommend naming the menu item as something commonly understood as a destructive (e.g., "Delete" or "Cancel").
+
 <LivePreview
   scope={{
     useMenuState,
@@ -289,19 +291,19 @@ See the [button](/components/button) component.
 
 #### Default
 
-| Property       | Default token                                     | Modifiable? |
-| -------------- | ------------------------------------------------- | ----------- |
-| color          | color-text (default) color-text-weaker (disabled) | No          |
-| padding-top    | space-30                                          | No          |
-| padding-bottom | space-30                                          | No          |
-| padding-left   | space-90 (in-group) or space-70 (regular)         | No          |
-| padding-right  | space-90 (in-group) or space-70 (regular)         | No          |
+| Property       | Default token                                                                                 | Modifiable? |
+| -------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----------- |
+| color          | color-text (default), color-text-link-destructive (destructive), color-text-weaker (disabled) | No          |
+| padding-top    | space-30                                                                                      | No          |
+| padding-bottom | space-30                                                                                      | No          |
+| padding-left   | space-90 (in-group) or space-70 (regular)                                                     | No          |
+| padding-right  | space-90 (in-group) or space-70 (regular)                                                     | No          |
 
 #### Hover & focused
 
-| Property | Default token   | Modifiable? |
-| -------- | --------------- | ----------- |
-| color    | color-text-link | No          |
+| Property | Default token                                                                 | Modifiable? |
+| -------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----------- |
+| color    | color-text-link (default), color-text-link-destructive-stronger (destructive) | No          |
 
 ### MenuGroup
 
@@ -434,6 +436,7 @@ These props are returned by the state hook. You can spread them into this compon
 
 | Prop     | Type                 | Description                                                                               | Default     |
 | -------- | -------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----------- |
+| variant  | `MenuItemVariants`   | Swaps the menu item variant. Options are `default` and `destructive`.                     | `default`   |
 | disabled | `boolean, undefined` | Same as the HTML attribute.                                                               |             |
 | id       | `string, undefined`  | Same as the HTML attribute.                                                               |             |
 | onClick  | `() => void`         | Same as the HTML attribute.                                                               |             |