After Trump claims Melania Trump has 'gotten to know' Kim, White House tries to clarify
The president made the claim Monday, even though the two have never met.
The White House on Monday tried to clarify President Donald Trump's claim at the G-7 summit that first lady Melania Trump has "gotten to know" North Korean dictator Kim Jung Un.
“I also say that, by the way, with respect to North Korea, Kim Jong Un, who I've gotten to know extremely well, the first lady has gotten to know Kim Jong Un, and I think she would agree with me, he is a man with a country that has tremendous potential,” Trump said at a news conference, gesturing toward his wife.
However, neither Melania Trump nor Kim have been in the same room together, which prompted White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham to release a statement saying that the president feels as if the first lady “has gotten to know him too” through his relationship with the North Korean leader.
“President Trump confides in his wife on many issues including the detailed elements of his strong relationship with Chairman Kim – and while the First Lady hasn't met him, the President feels like she's gotten to know him too.”
"He wrote me beautiful letters, and they're great letters. We fell in love," Trump said last September.
Trump has often touted the success of his relationship with Kim including bringing home the remains of U.S. service members killed in the Korean War. North Korea handed over 55 sets of remains in July 2018, but since then, the Pentagon office tasked with handling the issue has halted operations because North Korea has stopped engaging them.
Earlier this month, Trump praised a letter he received from Kim amid stalled talks over the regime's nuclear weapons program and hours before North Korea tested another projectile.
Trump told reporters as he left the White House that the missive was three pages, hand-delivered, "very positive," and "really beautiful."
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