Trump says he’ll meet Kim Jong-un before year’s end, says Pyongyang has 57 nukes

U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday that he plans to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un within the next year, but he did not specify the meeting's date or location. When asked if his goal in engaging with Pyongyang was still denuclearization, Trump did not provide a clear answer. He stated that North Korea currently has 57 nuclear weapons and expressed his belief that Kim would be "fine as long as we have a smart president," while cautioning that a "dumb president" might not be as effective.

Trump emphasized the importance of his own leadership, stating that Kim would prefer him as president over others. He also noted that Kim did not like previous U.S. presidents, including Joe Biden and Barack Obama, but he appreciated Trump's friendship. Trump claimed that his relationship with Kim has improved their nations' security, particularly compared to previous administrations.

He also mentioned that he has scaled back joint U.S.-South Korea military exercises, seeing them as an insult to North Korea, which has generally been well-behaved during his term. Trump further complained about South Korea's reluctance to support U.S. interests in the Strait of Hormuz, despite U.S. contributions to South Korea's and Japan's security.