President Donald Trump wants another sit-down with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Pyongyang hasn't answered the phone. So Trump is doing what Trump does: he's talking up the guy with the strangest Rolodex in American diplomacy.

Speaking Thursday at a Peterbilt truck factory in Denton, Texas, Trump pointed to Dennis Rodman's relationship with Kim, Reuters reported.

"When I wanted to get to know Kim Jong Un when we're having a problem — Kim Jong Un and I get along — but the one who knew him best was Dennis Rodman," Trump said.

That's a real sentence about the sitting president of the United States, and it's worth sitting with for a second. Trump has said repeatedly that he wants to meet Kim again. The two held three high-profile meetings during Trump's first term, including an encounter at the Korean Demilitarized Zone.

The Rodman Factor

Rodman accompanied Trump during his Texas and Oklahoma trip. No official explanation was given for his presence, which is the most Rodman thing possible.

The former Chicago Bulls star is an alumnus of Southeastern Oklahoma State University, where Trump later held a rally. So there's a logistical thread. There's also the other thread: Rodman has built an unusual relationship with Kim and has visited North Korea several times.

While traveling with Trump, Rodman told the publication he hoped to discuss "life" with the president. Asked whether he would travel to North Korea soon, Rodman replied, "If you buy the ticket."

Rodman visited North Korea five times from 2013 to 2017, with the trips largely focused on basketball diplomacy. He said he and Kim mostly discussed basketball, avoiding nuclear tensions and human rights issues, Basketball Network reported in March.

Could a Trump-Kim Meeting Happen in China?

Trump is scheduled to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in China next month. That could create an opportunity for another meeting with Kim, though no such plans have been announced.

Trump said Tuesday that Kim "likes Trump," adding, "I'm about the only person in the entire world that he likes, and I like him."

In August, Trump said he was unhappy that the U.S. had previously agreed to participate in joint military exercises with South Korea, citing his "very good relationship" with Kim. The president said it was too late to cancel the drills but directed Secretary of War Pete Hegseth to scale them back substantially.

Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by MarketDash editors.