‘I Get Along With Him Very Well’: Why Donald Trump Plans To Meet Kim Jong Un Again (Video)
US President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he plans to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un later this year, while making an unusually precise claim about the size of Pyongyang's nuclear arsenal. Trump told reporters that North Korea has 57 nuclear weapons, describing them as 'very powerful,' and said he would meet Kim in 2026.
US President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he plans to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un later this year, while making an unusually precise claim about the size of Pyongyang's nuclear arsenal. Trump told reporters that North Korea has 57 nuclear weapons, describing them as "very powerful," and said he would meet Kim in 2026. Such a meeting would mark the first encounter between the two leaders since Trump returned to the White House for his second term.
Trump Confirms Plans To Meet Kim
"Yeah, I will be," Trump said during a tour of a new helipad at the White House, when asked if he planned to meet Kim later in 2026. Trump defended planning to meet the North Korean leader even as he wages a war with Iran that he has justified on the grounds of preventing Tehran from getting a nuclear bomb. When Will Donald Trump Meet Kim Jong Un? US President Says He Will Meet North Korea Leader This Year (Video).
Trump Says He Will Meet Kim Jong Un In 2026
JUST IN - President Trump says he has a good relationship with Kim Jong Un, adding that the North Korean leader disliked Biden and Obama but likes him because the two get along pic.twitter.com/cFgptGSY7q
— Insider Paper (@TheInsiderPaper) August 19, 2026
"He has 57 very powerful nuclear weapons. Should have never allowed it to happen... If I were president, I wouldn't have allowed it," Trump said, referring to Kim. "But he's got them. I get along with him very well. I can't let Iran have a nuclear weapon. And I know Kim Jong Un very well, and he's going to be fine."
Trump did not provide details about the timing or venue of the proposed meeting. However, a Wall Street Journal report said Trump was considering meeting Kim when he travels to China in November for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit. Donald Trump Orders ‘Substantial’ Cutback of US-South Korea Military Drills Over Iran Snub, Kim Jong Un Ties.
Allies Alarmed By Shift In Focus
Trump's sudden focus on Kim and his scaling back of joint US-South Korean military drills have alarmed Asian allies, while sparking speculation that he is seeking a foreign policy win as his Iran war stalls.
While acknowledging Pyongyang possesses nuclear weapons, the US does not officially recognise North Korea as a nuclear state, and it is unusual for a president to publicly offer such a specific assessment of its stockpiles. Trump's mention of North Korea having 57 nuclear weapons is in line with previous assessments by the US government and think tanks that Pyongyang had an arsenal of 50 to 60.
History Of Trump-Kim Ties
After initially mocking Kim as "rocket man" and threatening "fire and fury" against North Korea, Trump met the North Korean leader three times during his first spell in the White House from 2017 to 2021. Trump said the two "fell in love" after exchanging "beautiful letters," but the headline-grabbing summits produced few tangible developments on the nuclear issue, and they haven't yet met in Trump's second term.
Fresh Signs Of Communication
Trump has pushed the issue back up the agenda since suddenly announcing on Sunday that he had ordered Washington to scale back "hostile" military drills with Seoul, citing his relationship with Kim. He has also dropped growing hints about communications with Kim, although he wouldn't confirm on Wednesday whether the pair were exchanging letters.
Kim's sister, Kim Yo Jong, also addressed the reports on Wednesday. She said she was "unaware" of any reported communication between her brother and Trump, while maintaining that relations between North Korea and the United States remained "excellent."
A renewed Trump-Kim summit would come at a time of heightened tensions over North Korea's nuclear programme and Washington's broader efforts to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons. Trump's comments suggest that despite Pyongyang's growing nuclear capability, he continues to see his personal relationship with Kim as a possible avenue for engagement.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 20, 2026 08:32 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
