CLAIM: Kamala Harris claimed Donald Trump exchanged “love letters” with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un.
Verdict: False. Harris clearly intended the insult as an exaggeration, not a serious accusation that Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un are engaged in a long-distance same-sex relationship.
With that understanding, her insinuation that Trump's letter to Kim Jong Un went far beyond the standards of high-level diplomatic relations is completely unfounded, and her insinuation that Kim Jong Un manipulated or deceived Trump is also completely unfounded. Foreign policy scholars reject the idea that the letter was frivolous or unimportant, as Harris's firing suggested.
President Trump and Kim Jong Un exchanged friendly letters. Personal Letter A letter sent by President Trump to Kim Jong Un in March 2020. In the letter, President Trump offered Kim the opportunity to build a better bilateral relationship with the United States. The North Korean government expressed its gratitude for the offer.
Trump and Kim ultimately exchanged 27 messages, a volume of correspondence so large that Trump once called them “beautiful letters.”
Harris is not the first to use the term “love letter” to describe the term. Robert L. Carlin, a scholar at Middlebury International University, wrote: It is called they In the August 2021 review of “Love Letter” Foreign policy.
Carlin noted that the exchange was not so different from previous attempts by U.S. and foreign leaders to forge personal relationships that could shape international policy: It was “the same mix of tactical feints, flattery and psychological maneuvers that have characterized interactions between leaders of all walks of life and across all walks of life throughout history.”
After reading the Trump-Kim correspondence in its entirety, Carlin concluded that it would be a mistake to cynically dismiss it as a “love letter.” Instead, he believes the communication between the two leaders was substantive and that Trump responded well to the signals sent by Kim.
Like so many similar negotiations throughout history, this one failed because President Trump was ultimately unable to negotiate denuclearization or sustained engagement with North Korea.
There is evidence that Kim Jong Un still personally likes Trump, which could be a great asset, even if it is no guarantee of future diplomatic success. Kim Jong Un and his regime clearly do not respond well to leaders who disrespect or threaten him. It is notable that a relationship that began with Trump dismissing Kim Jong Un as “Little Rocket Man” ended on much better terms.
In a column published in July, North Korean state media explicitly denied the possibility that “personal feelings” between Kim and Trump could lead to improved relations between the two countries if Trump wins the presidential election, stating, “We don't care about that” regarding the US presidential election. The article also pointed out that Trump has not implemented any policies that would benefit the North Korean regime.
Following the July assassination attempt on President Trump, Kim Sent A personal message conveying condolences and “warm greetings” to President Trump and his family.
North Korean state media quoted Kim Jong Un's letter as saying, “Kim Jong Un sincerely hopes that they will recover as soon as possible. He is hopeful that they will definitely overcome this.”
