Trump boasts of ‘great relationship’ with Kim Jong Un in bizarre rant as he takes aim at Hillary Clinton

Despite his praise for Kim Jong Un, Donald Trump admitted their early interactions were tense, recalling their hostile rhetoric before talks began
UPDATED MAR 14, 2025
Trump doubled down on his admiration for Kim Jong Un, claiming Hillary Clinton’s victory would have caused nuclear war (Getty Images)
Trump doubled down on his admiration for Kim Jong Un, claiming Hillary Clinton’s victory would have caused nuclear war (Getty Images)

WASHINGTON, DC: President Donald Trump doubled down on his admiration for North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, boasting about their relationship during an Oval Office media session.

Speaking alongside NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, Trump claimed that the US would have been dragged into nuclear war without his diplomacy, as reported by Irish Star.

Trump praises ‘great relationship’ with Kim Jong Un amid rising tensions

PANMUNJOM, SOUTH KOREA - JUNE 30 (SOUTH KOREA OUT): A handout photo provided by Dong-A Ilbo of North
 North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and US President Donald Trump inside the demilitarized zone (DMZ) separating South and North Korea on June 30, 2019 in Panmunjom, South Korea (Dong-A Ilbo/Getty Images)

“I have a great relationship with Kim Jong Un, and we’ll see what happens,” Trump declared. He then turned his attention to past political rivals, arguing that Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama had mishandled North Korea, with Obama allegedly refusing to even take Kim’s calls.

Despite his praise for Kim, Trump acknowledged their early interactions were tense. “With me, it did start off rough, remember? The rhetoric was extremely tough,” he said. “Then it stopped. They asked for a meeting. Then we met. Nobody was buying tickets for the Olympics because they didn’t want to be nuked.”

While Trump reminisced about his talks with Kim, new satellite images suggested North Korea is ramping up its missile capabilities. Analysts at the Middlebury Institute’s James Martin Center identified possible launch sites disguised as golf course structures near Pyongyang. A high-bay building at the site appears tall enough to house long-range ballistic missiles like the Hwasong-19 ICBM.

Sam Lair, a researcher from the study, warned that the facility could support multiple missile types. Roads around the area are reportedly wide enough to transport advanced weaponry, signaling Pyongyang’s continued military ambitions.

DETROIT, MICHIGAN - OCTOBER 10: Republican presidential nominee, former U.S. President Donald Trump, speaks at the Detroit Economic Club on October 10, 2024 in Detroit, Michigan. Michigan is considered a key battleground state in the upcoming presidential election, holding 15 electoral votes. (Photo by Bill Pugliano/Getty Images)
US President Donald Trump, speaks at the Detroit Economic Club on October 10, 2024 in Detroit, Michigan (Bill Pugliano/Getty Images)

North Korea recently tested the Hwasong-19, which it calls “the world’s strongest strategic missile,” and has been supplying arms to Russia in its war with Ukraine. The country also launched multiple missiles into the sea amid joint US-South Korea military drills, marking its fifth launch this year.

Kim Jong-un said, during the launch event, "The new-type ICBM proved before the world that the hegemonic position we have secured in the development and manufacture of nuclear delivery means of the same kind is absolutely irreversible."

Kim Yo Jong denounces ‘provocation’ by US forces

PYEONGCHANG-GUN, SOUTH KOREA - FEBRUARY 09:  Kim Yo Jong, sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un,
 Kim Yo Jong, sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, arrives at the opening ceremony of the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at PyeongChang Olympic Stadium on February 9, 2018 in Pyeongchang-gun, South Korea (Patrick Semansky - Pool /Getty Images)

North Korea has issued a sharp warning to the US after the deployment of the USS Carl Vinson to South Korea, with Kim Yo Jong, sister of leader Kim Jong Un threatening a “strategic response” to what she called an act of hostility.

In a statement broadcast through state media, Kim accused the US of escalating tensions and vowed countermeasures. “The deployment of US strategic assets in the Korean Peninsula has become a vicious habit,” she said. “We will carefully examine options to counter this growing threat to our security.”

The USS Carl Vinson, accompanied by its strike group, docked in the South Korean port of Busan on Sunday, reinforcing the US-South Korea alliance in response to Pyongyang’s growing aggression.

This arrival follows multiple missile launches by North Korea, including recent cruise missile tests its fourth round of missile activity this year.

Experts warn that Kim Yo Jong’s fiery rhetoric may precede another round of long-range missile tests, potentially aimed at demonstrating North Korea’s ability to strike US military bases in the region or even the US mainland.

The latest military moves contrast with recent speculation that President Donald Trump might re-engage with Kim Jong Un diplomatically. However, with North Korea maintaining its confrontational stance, the prospect of renewed talks appears dim.

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