Trump on Kim Jong-un: “I understand him. He understands me. I get along very well with him”

Responding to criticism over his decision to scale back joint U.S.-South Korean military exercises, Trump said his relationship with the North Korean leader makes the situation safer. “I understand him. He understands me. I get along very well with him. What I do makes the situation safer,” the US President said.

The day before, Trump ordered a significant reduction in the US-South Korean Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise, which began on August 17. He wrote on Truth Social that the maneuvers are costing the United States too much and sending an “inappropriate and hostile message” to North Korea, which he said has behaved “non-threateningly and respectfully” under his presidency.

In the same post, Trump also mentioned that he had asked the South Korean president to join the US in “denuclearizing Iran”, but received the answer: “No, thank you.” Thus, Trump actually linked the reduction in exercises not only with the desire not to aggravate relations with Pyongyang, but also with his dissatisfaction with Seoul, which did not want to support Washington in the confrontation with Iran.