Dennis Rodman doesn’t know if he might be the solution to the growing animosity between President Trump and North Korea, but he might be open to trying. Rodman stopped and chatted with TMZ about both Trump and North Korea. Dennis noted that the current U.S. president “loves power” and he described his own previous visits with Kim Jong-un a “great experience.”
When asked if he would be willing to be an ambassador, Rodman replied that it would be up to Trump to decide if Dennis is the right person for the job. Though Rodman doesn’t have any political experience, he is in an unusual position to have an understanding about how both leaders’ minds work.
In 2013, Rodman visited North Korea for the first time. The eccentric former Chicago Bull told Business Insider he was invited as a means of helping a documentary crew gain entry to North Korea because the enigmatic leader, Kim Jong-un, had a fascination with Dennis Rodman and basketball. Rodman visited the country on multiple occasions, getting to know the dictator, his family, and even having the honor of holding his infant daughter. Rodman also discussed ways in which North Korea wanted to progress in their relationship with the United States and other countries.
“I’ve never told this to anyone, but the last time I was there, they just came out and started saying stuff about what they want from Americans. How they want to rewrite the peace treaty, they want us to get the ships out of South Korea…They just want people in America and the government to know they don’t hate Americans. They want to work with Americans. They just want them to abide by the agreement that they wrote up years ago,” Rodman said of Kim Jong-un .
As for why North Korea was developing nuclear weapons, Dennis Rodman stated Kim Jong-un’s reasoning was that there was a fear the United States was arrogant enough to think they could just swoop in at any time and take over the country. Rodman left every single visit with North Korea on good terms and says he was never paid by their government to visit.
Rodman’s relationship with Donald Trump isn’t as warm and fuzzy but it isn’t damaged either. Dennis appeared on Season 8 of The Apprentice . Rodman was fired in week five of the show after his team’s advertising campaign spelled Melania Trump’s name incorrectly while trying to hock her skincare products. Dennis appeared again on The Celebrity Apprentice All-Stars show and made it to week six before getting the axe.
Despite getting the boot from Trump, Rodman surprisingly endorsed Donald’s presidential run. According to a tweet issued by Dennis, he stated the two have been friends for a long time and he felt America needed to get rid of the politicians and bring in a businessman. Trump responded to Rodman’s tweet with mutual admiration.
According to Politico , prior to being elected president, Trump discussed with Fox News the possibility that Dennis Rodman was having a positive influence on North Korea with his frequent visits.
“You look at the world, the world is blowing up around us. Maybe Dennis is a lot better than what we have…Dennis is not a stupid guy. He’s smart in many ways; he’s very street-wise,” Trump said of Rodman in 2013 .
While President Trump may have felt Rodman had the potential to change relations with North Korea back then, 2017 Trump is a whole new man. According to Dennis, he hasn’t spoken to the president in a long time and he doesn’t see that changing any time soon due to the president’s many obligations.
But further complicating things, Dennis Rodman is currently serving three years probation for driving the wrong way on I-5 in California and causing a hit and run. More than likely, he’s not able to leave the country. But who knows? In today’s world, if things get really tense between North Korea and the United States, Rodman could have his sentence commuted by his friend the president so he can initiate peace talks.
[Featured Image by Laura Cavanaugh/Getty Images]