Trump: I Had Tough Talks with North Korean Leader but We Fell in Love

Donald Trump, the President of the United States, described his talks with Kim Jong Un, the leader of North Korea, as difficult negotiations where both sides were 'tough,' but later they 'fell in love.' Speaking to his supporters in West Virginia on Saturday evening, October 29, he referred to the media and said they consider this level of positivity towards the North Korean leader as 'incompatible with the dignity of the presidency' and question why the president has backed down. 'But I have not backed down at all.' Less than four months ago, the leaders of the U.S. and North Korea met in a historic event in Singapore to discuss the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. Following this meeting, officials from both countries criticized each other's statements several times; however, letters were exchanged between the two leaders. According to the Associated Press, Trump reiterated in his recent speech that Kim Jong Un wrote him 'great letters.' Trump stated, 'I was really tough, and he [Kim Jong Un] was too, and our argument could have continued like that.' He added, 'But then we fell in love. Okay? I'm telling you the truth. He wrote me beautiful letters, and these letters are great.' Hours before the U.S. president's speech, North Korea's foreign minister criticized the ongoing sanctions against his country. Ri Yong-ho, in his speech at the United Nations General Assembly, said Pyongyang is ready to comply with the Trump-Kim agreements, but with the continuation of sanctions and 'in conditions of deepening distrust,' his country will not unilaterally give up its weapons. Despite the criticisms made in the senior North Korean official's speech, his tone was much softer compared to the harsh speeches of officials from that country in previous years. In his Saturday evening speech, Trump noted that 'we were heading into war with North Korea and millions could have died,' and said, 'But now we have such a good relationship,' with Pyongyang having halted its missile tests, helped free American hostages, and returned the remains of American soldiers. Trump, referring to the large crowd of his supporters, said, 'Maintaining the dignity of the presidency is very easy; but then instead of these 10,000 people, you would see a crowd of two hundred standing over there.' Mike Pompeo, the U.S. Secretary of State, said last week that he would soon head to Pyongyang for continued negotiations. North Korea is under the most severe international sanctions, which have had significant consequences on the economic situation of that country.