Trump claims he will meet with Kim Jong Un, North Korea has 57 nukes

The Hill · C · trust 54/100

President Trump told reporters that he would meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un this year as he warned the isolated country has “57 very powerful nuclear weapons.” Trump, who just a few days ago complimented North Korea, offered no further details of any planned meeting or talks to hold one. “The fact that I get along with him, that’s a good thing, not a bad thing. He has 57 very powerful nuclear weapons ,” Trump said during an event at at the White House, referring to Kim. “Should’ve never allowed it to happen. They should’ve never allowed it, if I were president, I wouldn’t have allowed it. But he’s got them. I get alo ng with him very well ,” the president added. It’s unclear if Trump’s claims hold any water, as the Kim’s younger sister, Kim Yo Jong, said Wednesday that North Korea’s position toward the U.S. had not changed , The Wall Street Journal reported. In a Truth Social post on Sunday, Trump said he told Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to “substantially reduce” joint military exercises with South Korea, noting that Seoul refused to help the U.S. with its military operations in Iran and that he has a friendly “relationship” with Kim. The U.S.-South Korea military exercises are annual, large-scale defense drills that happen in the spring and summer to help reinforce the alliance between the two countries and the readiness to battle regional threats. “These exercises are not only costly, with much of these costs paid for by the United States of America (as usual!), but send a signal that is totally inappropriate and hostile , to a Country that, as long as Donald J. Trump has been President, has been unthreatening and respectful,” the president wrote. Trump first met with Kim in 2018 during his first term after threatening “fire and fury” if North Korea continued provocative ballistic missile tests. At the meeting – the first-ever between leaders of the United States and North Korea – the two sides signed a joint statement, agreeing to the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, among other things. Afterward, Trump repeatedly boasted of his friendship with the dictator, but North Korea continued its nuclear ambitions, causing diplomatic relations to fall apart in 2019. Welcome to The Hill’s Defense & National Security newsletter, I’m Ellen Mitchell — your guide to the latest developments at the Pentagon, on Capitol Hill and beyond. Did someone forward you this newsletter? Subscribe here. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) announced Tuesday it is cutting off trade with Iran after accusing it of firing two missiles toward the UAE. Afra Al Hameli, director of the UAE’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs Strategic Communications Department, stated that “in the light of regional escalations that undermine regional and international peace and security, all trade, commercial exchanges, and financial transactions with Iran ... A U.S. Air Force plane heading from New Zealand to Antarctica was forced to turn around Tuesday due to a “potentially hazardous” space activity warning. The American C-17 Globemaster aircraft, using call sign ICE28, initially took off from Christchurch, New Zealand, around 9:00 a.m. local time but returned back to Christchurch less than three hours later due to a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) sent by New Zealand’s Civil Aviation ... Slotkin asks Hegseth, Caine to confirm troops won’t be sent to polling places Democratic Sen. Elissa Slotkin (Mich.) on Monday sent letters to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Gen. Dan Caine, the chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, asking them to confirm they will not deploy U.S. service members to polling places this year. In the letters, Slotkin asked Hegseth and Caine to confirm the Defense Department “will not send Federal troops to the polls or to seize election materials of any kind,” which she ... Stars and Stripes publisher announces retirement, citing displeasure with Pentagon’s direction of outlet Max Lederer, the publisher of Stars and Stripes for nearly 20 years, is retiring over issues related to how the Pentagon is directing coverage of the outlet under the Trump administration. Lederer, who announced the decision Tuesday, has been with Stars and Stripes in some capacity since 1992 and took over as publisher in 2007 — only the second full-time civilian to have the role. He said he was stepping down as of Sept. 30 ... DOJ defends Comey prosecution, says ‘no serious dispute’ Trump post could be seen as a threat The Justice Department discouraged a judge from tossing a case against former FBI Director James Comey, saying it should be up to the jury to determine whether posting a photo of seashells arranged to spell “86 47” constituted a “true threat” against President Trump’s life. “The issue presented is ... MyPillow founder Mike Lindell is privately funding a hand recount and audit of Minnesota’s Republican gubernatorial primary, which he lost by roughly ... Read more President Trump on Wednesday celebrated the loss of Alex Vindman in the Senate Democratic primary in Florida. “The most gratifying loss last ... Read more Check out The Hill’s Defense page for the latest coverage. Like this newsletter? Take a moment to view all our topical emails here 📩 400 N. Capitol St. NW Suite 950, Washington, DC 20001

Read the original at The Hill →

Open in TruthVane →