Trump says he has a strong relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un
U.S. PoliticsWell-covered
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The Facts
- Trump said he “gets along great” with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
- Trump made the remarks at a campaign rally in Ohio.
- Trump said relations with leaders of nuclear-armed countries are important.
- Trump cited “112 nuclear missiles” when discussing relations with Kim.
- Trump did not explain the basis for the “112 nuclear missiles” figure.
- Trump also said Iran would never have nuclear weapons.
Context
What did Trump say about Kim Jong Un?
Trump said he “gets along great” with Kim and described good relations with leaders of nuclear-armed nations as important. News18 Korea Times North Korea News
What was the significance of the “112 nuclear missiles” reference?
Trump used the figure to argue that it is beneficial to maintain good relations with Kim, but he did not explain how he arrived at the number. Malatya Haber UPI North Korea News
What did Trump say about Iran?
Trump said Iran would never have nuclear weapons, contrasting his remarks about Iran with his discussion of Kim and North Korea. Haberler Interfax.ru Ведомости
Where Left and Right agree
Left and right largely agree on this one.
- What both sides accept
- Engaging Kim Jong Un is sound judgment, but Trump's unexplained '112 nuclear missiles' figure undercuts rather than strengthens that case.
- Where Left and Right differ in emphasis
- The left and the right both demand Trump back the number, but differ on what it costs.
How left and right read it
Nobody bears the cost of a nuclear miscalculation like the ordinary people living under it, so talking to Kim Jong Un beats threatening him. But a rally line about getting along great is not a policy, and citing "112 nuclear missiles" without explaining where the number comes from makes the case worse, not stronger. Diplomacy has to be verifiable. If relations with nuclear-armed leaders are important, what exactly has been verified — and who checked?
A president's word is the instrument of American leverage, so precision about an adversary's arsenal is not pedantry. Keeping a working line open to Kim Jong Un is sound judgment, because relations with leaders of nuclear-armed countries are important — yet citing "112 nuclear missiles" with no basis offered spends the same credibility that has to carry the pledge that Iran will never have nuclear weapons. Back the figure or drop it.
Engaging Kim is sound judgment, but an unbacked number turns that strength into a liability for pledges like Iran's.
The receipts — 35 sources
Wire services (1)
Independent coverage (34)
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