Former President Donald Trump recently boasted about his ties to North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un, calling his friendship with the closed-off country a “good thing.”
Trump made the remarks at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania this week, reflecting on what some consider to be one of the greatest achievements of his administration.
“I was good friends with Kim Jong Un of North Korea. Remember when I walked across […] “I'm the first person to walk across this country,” the former president told the crowd.
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North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and US President Donald Trump met in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) at Panmunjom in South Korea. (Dong-A Ilbo via Getty Images/Getty Images)
“We also looked at his nuclear capabilities,” he continued. “That's very significant.” […] It's good to get along, not bad.
Trump is the first sitting U.S. president to Meet the North Korean dictator Shaking hands with Kim Jong Un in 2019.
The unexpected and historic summit came as a last-minute surprise to Americans, as President Trump and Kim Jong Un had publicly exchanged insulting messages shortly before meeting.
President Trump congratulates North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on his election to WHO executive committee
President Donald Trump (right) and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un (left) pose during their second summit at the Sofitel Legend Metropole Hotel in Hanoi, Vietnam. (Vietnam News Agency/Distribution/Getty Images)
Trump has regularly spoken about this achievement since 2019, boasting about his unique ability to court autocrats and arguing that had he been re-elected, he would have normalized relations between the two countries by now.
“You remember it was hard at first? I said, 'Little Rocket Man,' and he said, 'I have a red button on my desk. I'd be happy to use it,'” Trump recalled in an April 2023 interview. “Then all of a sudden I get calls. They want to meet with me. I think this situation would have been resolved as soon as my second term started.”
Democratic presidential candidate and Vice President Kamala Harris slammed President Trump's meeting with Kim Jong Un, arguing that the former president was too soft on the dictator.
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President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un talk before their meeting at the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). (Brendan Smiarowski/AFP via Getty Images)
“I will not hesitate to take any action necessary to protect our troops and interests from Iran and Iran-backed terrorists, and I will not sideline tyrants and dictators like Kim Jong Un who are cheering on Trump,” she said in her acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention. “Because they know Trump is easily manipulated with flattery and favors. They also know Trump will not hold dictators accountable, because he wants to be a dictator.”
Neither presidential candidate has laid out a thorough, concrete policy for how to address relations with North Korea after the 2024 election.
