The former US president has reportedly told associates he’s continued discussions with Kim Jong-un
Since leaving the American presidency last year, Donald Trump has “been telling people that he has maintained some kind of a correspondence or discussion with Kim Jong Un,” New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman revealed on Thursday.
In her upcoming book about Trump, ‘The Confidence Man,’ the journalist claimed that the ex-president has “had a fixation on this relationship” with the North Korean leader since they met during his time in office. However, Haberman was quick to clarify that Trump’s claim that he’s been communicating with Kim has not been verified and might not be true.
Kim is believed to be the only foreign leader that Trump has remained in communication with since leaving office, despite their sometimes tumultuous relationship. At one point, Trump infamously called Kim “little rocket man,” while North Korea insulted Trump as a “heedless and erratic old man.”
Trump met with Kim three times – in Singapore, Hanoi, and at the Korean Demilitarized Zone – where he became the first sitting US president to set foot on North Korean soil. Amid their negotiations during his presidency, the pair exchanged letters in 2018; at a rally in West Virginia, Trump enthusiastically declared that the duo “fell in love.”
The legality of any communication between Trump and Kim is unclear, as the 1799 Logan Act prohibits US citizens from conducting negotiations with foreign regimes without prior authorization. The White House and the US State Department have declined to comment on the claims. A representative for Trump has not yet issued a public comment on the report.
