Dennis Rodman May Be Part Of North Korea Summit In Singapore, Speculates The ‘New York Post’
It’s strange, but it could be true. Ex-NBA star Dennis Rodman is reportedly arriving in Singapore a day before the U.S.-North Korea summit, and the New York Post is speculating that Rodman could be part of the negotiations. Rodman’s spokesman, Darren Prince, said that the trip is “not set in stone,” according to Breitbart. However, Rodman has said that he would be willing to attend the summit if requested.
Apparently, Rodman has visited North Korea five times before, and he told TMZ previously that he’d given a copy of Trump’s book The Art of the Deal to Kim Jong Un as a birthday present in 2017.
“I think [Kim] didn’t realize who Donald Trump was at that time, I guess, until he started to read the book and started to get to understand him. Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un are pretty much the same.”
During previous trips to North Korea, Rodman received backlash from Americans, but he’s reportedly now “just happy [the summit’s] happening. He’s just hoping for a great historic outcome.”
Rodman is an odd bridge between President Trump and Kim Jong Un. Rodman previously worked with Trump during the 2009 and 2013 seasons of the Celebrity Apprentice. Also, Rodman reportedly has a friendship with Kim, whom he calls “the Marshal” and “friend for life.” Rodman first visited North Korea in 2013, and asked Trump for permission to visit North Korea for the sixth time around December of last year.
Dennis Rodman, who has been a friend of Kim Jong Un for years, will be on hand when Trump meets with the North Korea leader next week, according to "The New York Post." https://t.co/RyIJTqIF45
— USA TODAY (@USATODAY) June 6, 2018
Rodman wanted to visit Kim Jong Un as part of a “peace envoy,” because tensions were running extremely high between North Korea and the U.S. due to the death of Otto Warmbier. He’s also previously said that he’s tried telling Trump what Kim wants from him, according to USA Today.
“I’ve been trying to tell Donald since day one: ‘Come talk to me, man … I’ll tell you what the Marshal wants more than anything … It’s not even that much.”
It seems like Rodman has always wanted to achieve peaceful relations between the two leaders. Since he’s had experiences working with Trump through the Celebrity Apprentice, it gives him an unlikely opportunity to help pass along messages. Last December, Rodman was even discussing his idea of a basketball game between North Korea and Guam.
“We thought, ‘This would be awesome! The people in Guam are all about it. They love it. You get a team from North Korea, get these guys from Pyongyang. Play it in Beijing.”
The summit is scheduled to take place at the Capella Hotel on Sentosa Island in Singapore. The island has many luxury hotels, golf courses, and amusement parks.
