President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he expects to meet former NBA star Dennis Rodman, though he offered little detail about the possible encounter or whether it could have anything to do with North Korea.
Speaking at the White House, Trump was asked directly whether he would be meeting Rodman. The president indicated that he had been told such a meeting was planned.
“Someone told me I am,” Trump said, adding that Rodman is “a nice guy.”
When reporters pressed Trump on whether the meeting would involve North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, Trump did not provide a clear answer.
“Oh I don’t know about that,” Trump said before again describing Rodman as a “good guy.”
The comments immediately drew attention because of Rodman’s unusual relationship with Kim, whom the former Chicago Bulls player has visited multiple times over the years.
Rodman Has an Unusual Connection to Kim Jong Un
Rodman has developed a personal relationship with Kim that dates back to his first trip to North Korea in 2013. During that visit, the former NBA star spent time with Kim and members of his family.
Rodman later publicly identified Kim’s daughter, Ju Ae, after saying he had held her as a baby during his time in the country.
His relationship with Kim has remained separate from official U.S. diplomatic channels, but Rodman has periodically attracted attention because he is one of the few prominent Americans to have spent significant personal time with the North Korean leader.
That history makes any potential meeting between Trump and Rodman notable, particularly as the Trump administration has indicated renewed interest in direct engagement with Pyongyang.
Rodman Was in Singapore During the First Trump-Kim Summit
Rodman also traveled to Singapore in June 2018, when Trump and Kim held their first face-to-face summit.
Although Rodman was present in Singapore during the historic meeting, he was not part of the official U.S. delegation and did not participate in the negotiations between the two governments.
Trump and Kim would meet twice more during Trump's first term. Their second summit took place in Hanoi, Vietnam, in 2019. Later that year, Trump met Kim at the Demilitarized Zone separating North and South Korea.
The three encounters represented an unprecedented period of direct engagement between a sitting U.S. president and the North Korean leader. However, the diplomacy ultimately failed to produce an agreement that ended North Korea's nuclear weapons program.
Trump Has Signaled Interest in Talking With Kim Again
The possibility of a meeting with Rodman comes as Trump has again expressed interest in direct communication with Kim.
In August, Trump said he planned to meet the North Korean leader again this year, signaling that another attempt at direct diplomacy remained under consideration.
North Korea has continued to reject Washington's demands for denuclearization, however. Pyongyang has maintained its nuclear weapons program despite repeated U.S. calls for the country to give it up.
Kim Yo Jong, Kim's sister and a senior North Korean official, has also commented on the relationship between the North Korean leader and Trump. She said their personal relationship remained “not bad,” while making clear that North Korea was not prepared to abandon its nuclear program.
Trump's Comments Leave the Purpose of a Rodman Meeting Unclear
Trump did not say when or where he expects to meet Rodman. He also did not explain what the two men would discuss or whether Rodman could have any involvement in future U.S.-North Korea diplomacy.
That leaves the significance of the potential meeting uncertain.
Rodman has never been part of the formal U.S. diplomatic team negotiating with North Korea. His connection to Kim has instead been personal and informal, developed through his visits to the country and interactions with the North Korean leader.
Whether that relationship could play any role in future diplomatic efforts remains unknown.
A Potential Meeting Would Connect Sports and Diplomacy
Rodman's relationship with Kim has long occupied an unusual place at the intersection of international politics and professional sports. The former NBA star has maintained contact with one of the world's most isolated leaders despite having no official diplomatic position.
Trump's own relationship with Kim is considerably different. The two leaders held three meetings during Trump's first term and exchanged extensive public messages during the period surrounding those summits.
Trump has now indicated that another meeting with Rodman may take place, but his remarks did not establish any formal connection between Rodman and future negotiations with North Korea.
For now, the details remain limited. Trump has confirmed only that he has been told he will meet the former NBA star, while leaving unanswered whether Kim Jong Un, North Korea, or potential diplomacy will be part of the conversation.
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