Former U.S. President Donald Trump described North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un as "tough and smart," stating that if he had won re-election, he would have reached an agreement between North Korea and the U.S.
On the 8th (local time), at a Republican fundraising event held in Rapid City, South Dakota, Trump introduced past discussions from the North Korea-U.S. summits with Kim Jong-un and made these remarks.
Trump said, "He was a tough guy, a smart guy," adding, "He only loved collecting nuclear weapons. That’s what he did."
He continued, "We got along incredibly well," and "We saved those Olympics in Korea," referring to the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics, claiming that he and Kim contributed to the success of the Olympics.
He also emphasized, "If the election (the 2020 presidential election won by Joe Biden) had not been rigged, we would have reached an agreement long ago." This implies that if he had won re-election after the second North Korea-U.S. summit in Hanoi, Vietnam, in 2019, which ended without an agreement, more time would have allowed for a deal between North Korea and the U.S.
He added, "Because of North Korea’s existence, 35,000 U.S. soldiers in South Korea are at risk, but I got along very well with Kim Jong-un," and "If I hadn’t become president, I guarantee a nuclear war would have happened."
Meanwhile, at the fundraising event, South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem, who plans to run in next year’s presidential election, officially endorsed Trump ahead of his campaign, saying, "I will do everything I can to help him win and save this country." In response, Trump praised Governor Noem as "one of the most successful governors in the nation," saying her endorsement "means a lot."
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