pwshub.com

Friendly relationship with Kim Jong Un is 'not a bad thing,' Trump says

Former President Donald Trump touted his relationship with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un recently, calling friendly relations with the cloistered country a "good thing."

Trump made the comment at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania this week, reflecting on what some see as among the greatest accomplishments of his administration.

"I got along with Kim Jong-un of North Korea. Remember I walked over [...] the first person to ever walk over from this country," the former president said to the crowd.

ACTIVISTS JOIN US, NYC OFFICIALS IN EFFORT TO NAME STREET OUTSIDE NORTH KOREA'S UN OFFICE AFTER OTTO WARMBIER

Trump King Jong Un Meeting North Korea

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and U.S. President Donald Trump meet inside the demilitarized zone (DMZ) separating the South and North Korea in Panmunjom, South Korea. (Dong-A Ilbo via Getty Images/Getty Images)

"We also looked at his nuclear capability," he continued. "It's very substantial [...] You know, getting along is a good thing. It's not a bad thing.

Trump became the first sitting US President to meet with a dictator of North Korea when he shook hands with Kim Jong Un in 2019.

The unexpected and historic summit came as a last-minute surprise to the U.S. public due to a public exchange of insulting messages between Trump and Kim Jong Un not long before they met up.

TRUMP CONGRATULATES KIM JONG UN ON NORTH KOREAN ELECTION TO WHO EXECUTIVE BOARD

Trump King Jong Un Meeting North Korea

President Donald Trump (R) and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (L) pose during their second summit meeting at the Sofitel Legend Metropole hotel in Hanoi, Vietnam. (Vietnam News Agency/Handout/Getty Images)

Trump has made the accomplishment a regular talking point since 2019, proudly boasting about his unique ability to reach the dictator and claiming he would have normalized relations by now if he had been re-elected.

"It started off rough, remember that? I was saying ‘little rocket man’ and he was saying ‘I've got a red button on my desk, and I’m willing to use it,'" Trump recalled in an April 2023 interview.  "And then all of a sudden we get a call — they want to meet. We would have had that whole situation straightened out shortly after the beginning of my second term."

Democratic presidential nominee and Vice President Kamala Harris has attacked Trump for the meeting with Kim Jong Un, claiming the former president was too soft on the dictator.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Trump King Jong Un Meeting North Korea

President Donald Trump and North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un talk before a meeting in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). (BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images)

"I will never hesitate to take whatever action is necessary to defend our forces and our interests against Iran and Iran-backed terrorists. And I will not cozy up to tyrants and dictators like Kim Jong Un, who are rooting for Trump," she said during her acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention. "Because they know he is easy to manipulate with flattery and favors. They know Trump won’t hold autocrats accountable — because he wants to be an autocrat," 

Neither presidential candidate has offered a thorough and concrete platform on how they would approach relations with North Korea following the 2024 election.

Timothy Nerozzi is a writer for Fox News Digital. You can follow him on Twitter @timothynerozzi and can email him at timothy.nerozzi@fox.com

Source: foxnews.com

Related stories
2 weeks ago - North Korea's Kim Jong Un ordered at least 30 government officials to be executed after the devastating floods over the summer that left many dead, South Korean media reports.
2 weeks ago - Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro declared victory in an election many say he lost. As protests break out, and Maduro cracks down on dissent, Russia is stepping in to ensure its ally remains in power.
1 week ago - A beluga whale who was discovered off the coast of Norway in 2019 wearing a harness and camera mount quickly became beloved in the country. He was found dead last weekend.
2 weeks ago - Kyiv seeks to turn the war around and break the deadlock with its incursion of the Kursk region, marking the first ground invasion of Russia since World War II.
2 weeks ago - British Foreign Secretary David Lammy said the decision to suspend some arms exports to Israel was out of concern they could be used to violate international humanitarian law.
Other stories
1 hour ago - A 30-year-old tourist from Germany visiting the Canary Islands died after she was attacked by a shark while swimming next to her catamaran.
5 hours ago - A legal expert warns that Israel's departure from the West Bank could allow Iran to step in and establish a control similar to the Hamas presence in Gaza.
5 hours ago - The Rosetta Stone played a vital role in researchers deciphering hieroglyphics. It was found in 1799, but wasn't fully deciphered until many years later.
7 hours ago - A recent find has revealed new details about Celtic presence in Poland. The ancient find was a bronze helmet that is likely "associated with the Celtic elites."
8 hours ago - Australian police on Wednesday said that they have infiltrated Ghost, an encrypted global communications app developed for criminals, leading to dozens of arrests.