Donald Trump faced criticism for boasting about his ‘beautiful relationship’ with North Korean leader, Kim Jong Un, over the weekend. The confession happened during an interview with podcaster, Tim Pool on Timcast IRL . The former president alleged that Barack Obama had cautioned him that North Korea was the most significant threat to the United States. However, Trump bragged that he managed to have a special bond with the leader. “It boiled down to something very beautiful, the way it happened, and I got along with him very well.”
The businessman-turned-politician shared, “He respected me, I respected him.” Trump went on to describe Jong Un as a “very smart guy, very strong guy” and an ‘absolute leader’. The statement drew immediate criticism from netizens online. Trump admitted that although he and Jong Un initially exchanged insults, their relationship eventually ‘morphed’. In 2018, as reported by HuffPost , he explained, “We fell in love.”
As reported by The Washington Post , in a 2020 interview, Bob Woodward told Trump that the CIA described Jong Un as “cunning, crafty but ultimately stupid.” In response, Trump shared, “I disagree. He’s cunning. He’s crafty. And he’s very smart.” He added, “They have no idea. I’m the only one who knows. I’m the only one he deals with. He won’t deal with anybody else. The word chemistry. You meet somebody and you have a good chemistry. You meet a woman. In one second, you know whether or not it’s all going to happen.”
Trump: My relationship with Kim Jong Un was very beautiful. We got along very well. I got along great with him. Very strong guy. He is the absolute leader of his country pic.twitter.com/k5c7GeyGx3
— Biden-Harris HQ (@BidenHQ) May 28, 2024
As Jong Un maintains tight control over his nation, employing harsh measures such as public executions and forced labor camps to suppress dissent, netizens and politicians alike, criticized Trump for cultivating a relationship with such a regime. Many took to X, formerly Twitter, to express their disdain for Trump’s bizarre claims. A user @ArtCandee quipped, “I prefer my president who doesn’t praise dictators.” Chiming in, another user @TheSnarkTank99 remarked, “Also Trump: My relationship with Pennywise the Clown was very beautiful. We got along very well. He’s a very funny clown. Loves to float. What can I say, clowns love me!”
Giving the leader of a nuclear armed country respect is a bad thing apparently
— 𝑩𝒊𝒈 𝑶𝒍’ 𝑫𝒐𝒊𝒏𝒌𝒔 🐇🇺🇸 (@TheBigDoink_) May 28, 2024
Echoing similar sentiments, user @AmericasBurner mocked, “They do say narcissists attract.” As the comments poured in, another comment read , “They wrote each other love letters and played pocket pool together.” Meanwhile, others argued that Trump “does not realize that he does not have to know to these authoritarian dictators. He could have a spine…But we all know the truth, he has none!” Interestingly, earlier this year, in January, the former president expressed his wish of wanting to be “a dictator for one day” to do two things— shut down illegal crossings at the US-Mexico border and bolster energy projects. “After that, I’m not going to be,” Trump assured.