Basketball player Rodman attended President Trump’s event in Texas — The Japan Times

Former basketball player Dennis Rodman joined U.S. President Donald Trump at an event at the Peterbilt Motors facility in Denton, a suburb of Dallas, Texas. Trump delivered a speech there in support of his tariff policy.

As The Japan Times reports, before the speech Trump did not directly answer reporters’ question about whether Rodman’s presence was connected to an attempt to promote peace with Pyongyang. The president said he has a good relationship with North Korea.

Rodman’s ties with North Korea

During the speech, Trump called Rodman a special person and mentioned his friendship with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. According to the president, Rodman knew Kim better than anyone else because he had been invited to North Korea to work with the country’s basketball team.

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Rodman has visited North Korea repeatedly. He has also known Trump for a long time and took part in his reality show, The Celebrity Apprentice. Some people consider the basketball player a possible mediator for easing tensions with Pyongyang, while others have criticized his visits, arguing that they helped legitimize Kim’s regime and spread its propaganda.

Possible meeting in November

Trump is planning a trip to Asia in November, during which he is expected to hold another summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping. The trip could potentially provide an opportunity for a meeting with Kim Jong Un, whom Trump met three times during his first presidential term.

In August, Trump said that Kim Jong Un had responded positively to a request for a conversation between the two leaders. At the same time, North Korea denied that there were direct contacts between them and criticized U.S. policy as hostile.