North Korean leader Kim Jong Un (2nd L) watches a basketball game between former U.S. NBA basketball players and North Korean players of the Hwaebul team of the DPRK with Dennis Rodman (R) at Pyongyang Indoor Stadium in this undated photo released by North Korea’s Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) in Pyongyang January 9, 2014.REUTERS/KCNA
- Dennis Rodman believes that he can be the mediator between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
- “I’ve been trying to tell Donald since day one: ‘Come talk to me, man … I’ll tell you what the Marshal wants more than anything,” Rodman said in an interview.
- Trump has praised Rodman’s previous visits to North Korea.
Dennis Rodman, the former basketball star and citizen diplomat wants to meet with President Donald Trump to discuss ways to de-escalate tensions between North Korea and the US.
In an interview with The Guardian, Rodman said he believes that he can be the mediator between Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, and that he is willing to go to North Korea to negotiate.
“I’ve been trying to tell Donald since day one: ‘Come talk to me, man … I’ll tell you what the Marshal wants more than anything … It’s not even that much,'” Rodman said. “If I can go back over there … you’ll see me talking to him, and sitting down and having dinner, a glass of wine, laughing and doing my thing.”
“I guess things will settle down a bit and everybody can rest at ease,” Rodman said.
Rodman posted a photo on his twitter account on Sunday talking about humanitarian work he was doing in Guam and Tokyo. The photo was captioned “Great week of humanitarian work in Guam and Tokyo, Japan now just got to Beijing..Guess what’s next?”
In the photo, Rodman is wearing a shirt that shows him in between Trump and Kim, along with US and North Korean flags and the word “Unite” written under them.
Great week of humanitarian work in Guam and Tokyo, Japan now just got to Beijing..Guess what’s next? #Peace#Love#NotWarpic.twitter.com/knXJcaWtLb
— Dennis Rodman (@dennisrodman) December 10, 2017
Rodman told The Guardian that he tried to make his sixth trip to North Korea, but US officials told him not to go. “Basically they said it’s not a good time right now,” he said.
The State Department has issued a travel ban against Americans visiting North Korea in September, after Otto Warmbier’s death.
When asked about what Kim wanted, Rodman replied “I ain’t telling you … I will tell [Trump] when I see him.”
The Guardian notes that while the White House has not responded to Rodman’s request, Trump did praise the athlete’s visit to North Korea, calling it “smart.”
“The world is blowing up around us. Maybe Dennis is a lot better than what we have,” he said.