Trump Says Strong Ties With Kim Jong-un Matter as Nuclear Diplomacy Questions Persist

U.S. President Donald Trump said he maintains a strong relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, highlighting personal diplomacy as he discussed ties with leaders of nuclear-armed countries at a campaign rally in Ohio.

Trump told supporters on Saturday that he gets along well with Kim and argued that maintaining workable relations with the leaders of major nuclear powers is beneficial. The comments came as he also spoke about his relationship with Chinese President Xi Jinping while campaigning ahead of the U.S. midterm elections.

The remarks renewed attention to whether Trump could attempt another round of direct diplomacy with Pyongyang. In August, he said he hoped to meet Kim later this year, adding to speculation that the two leaders might revive the personal engagement that defined part of Trump’s earlier approach to North Korea. No meeting has been announced.

Trump and Kim met three times during Trump’s first presidency. Their first summit took place in Singapore in June 2018, followed by a second meeting in Hanoi in February 2019. They met again at Panmunjom, the inter-Korean border village, later that year. The encounters were unprecedented for a sitting U.S. president and a North Korean leader, but they did not produce a lasting agreement on denuclearization or sanctions relief.

The latest comments also follow a statement from U.S. State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott, who said Friday that Trump does not regard talks with North Korea as a concession. Pigott said the president is willing to engage Pyongyang when doing so serves U.S. national interests.

At the Ohio rally, Trump referred to someone possessing “112 nuclear missiles,” but did not explain whom he meant or what the figure represented. The lack of clarification makes the number difficult to assess. In August, Trump had separately claimed that North Korea possessed 57 nuclear weapons.

Trump’s emphasis on personal rapport comes as North Korea continues expanding its strategic weapons programs and as uncertainty remains over the conditions under which Washington and Pyongyang could resume formal negotiations. His comments did not outline a new policy or negotiating proposal, but they reinforced his longstanding view that direct leader-to-leader relations can reduce risks between nuclear-armed states. Whether that approach leads to renewed contact will depend on decisions in both capitals and on the wider security environment surrounding the Korean Peninsula.