What did Donald Trump say about Kim Jong-un at the Ohio campaign rally?

Trump said he gets along great with Kim Jong-un and argued that it is good to maintain ties with leaders of nuclear-armed countries. He made the comments while also discussing his relationship with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

When did Trump say he hoped to meet Kim Jong-un again?

In August, Trump said he hoped to meet Kim later this year. The article says that remark added to speculation that he might try to revive the personal diplomacy that produced three in-person meetings during his first term.

How has North Korea responded to Trump’s renewed outreach?

North Korea has continued to reject calls for denuclearization and says its status as a nuclear weapon state is irreversible. The article says Trump’s latest remarks came against that backdrop.

Trump says he 'gets along great' with N. Korean leader at campaign rally

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Summary

U.S. President Donald Trump said in Ohio on Saturday that he gets along great with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un while defending ties with leaders of nuclear-armed nations. He also said he hopes to meet Kim later this year, reviving speculation about personal diplomacy. Trump added that North Korea has continued to reject denuclearization and call its nuclear status irreversible.

Key Facts

Trump made the remarks during a campaign rally in Ohio ahead of the U.S. midterm elections.
He cited his past meetings with Kim Jong-un in Singapore in June 2018, Hanoi in February 2019 and Panmunjeom at the inter-Korean border.
Tommy Pigott, a State Department spokesperson, said Friday that Trump does not view talks with North Korea as a concession and is willing to engage Pyongyang if it serves U.S. national interests.

By Yonhap

Published Oct 4, 2026 11:54 am KST
Updated Oct 4, 2026 12:02 pm KST

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a rally at Butler High School in Vandalia, Ohio, U.S., Saturday. Reuters-Yonhap

WASHINGTON — U.S. President Donald Trump said Saturday he "gets along great" with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un as he stressed the importance of maintaining good relations with leaders of nuclear-armed nations.

Trump made the remarks during a campaign rally in Ohio ahead of the U.S. midterm elections while discussing his relationship with Chinese President Xi Jinping and defending his ties with leaders of major powers.

"I get along great with Kim Jong-un," Trump said, adding, "Isn't it nice to get along with the leaders of massive nations, massive nuclear nations?"

In August, Trump said that he hopes to meet Kim later this year, adding to speculation that he might seek to rekindle his personal diplomacy with Kim that led to three bilateral in-person meetings: the first in Singapore in June 2018, the second in Hanoi in February 2019 and the last at the inter-Korean border village of Panmunjeom.

Tommy Pigott, spokesperson for the State Department, said Friday that Trump does not view talks with North Korea as a "concession" and is willing to engage Pyongyang if doing so serves U.S. national interests.

At the rally, Trump also said it is good to get along with someone when that person has "112 nuclear missiles" without elaborating on what the figure represented.

In August, Trump claimed North Korea possessed 57 nuclear weapons, leaving unclear what exactly the latest figure he mentioned referred to.

Trump's latest remarks came as North Korea has continued to reject calls for denuclearization and insisted that its status as a nuclear weapon state is "irreversible."

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