Trump Attacks Kim Jong Un In Bizarre Twitter Rant: 'I Would Never Call Him Short And Fat.'
President Donald Trump launched into a wild Twitter rant on Saturday after a statement from North Korea referred to him as an “old lunatic.”
“Why would Kim Jong Un insult me by calling me ‘old,’ when I would NEVER call him ‘short and fat?’,” Trump wrote on Twitter.
The president has, however, repeatedly referred to the North Korean leader as a “little rocket man.”
“I try so hard to be his friend,” the president added.
Why would Kim Jong-un insult me by calling me "old," when I would NEVER call him "short and fat?" Oh well, I try so hard to be his friend - and maybe someday that will happen!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 12, 2017
Trump’s Twitter tantrum, which occurred while the president was in Vietnam as part of his trip to Asia, was apparently in reference to comments made earlier in the day on state media from North Korea’s Foreign Ministry calling the president an “old lunatic” and a “warmonger.”
It’s not the first time Pyongyang has described Trump as such. Earlier in the week, North Korean state media called Trump a “lunatic old man.”
Trump reserved some of his own choicest insults Saturday for those — apparently Americans — suspicious of his relationship with Russia, calling them “haters and fools.”
When will all the haters and fools out there realize that having a good relationship with Russia is a good thing, not a bad thing. There always playing politics - bad for our country. I want to solve North Korea, Syria, Ukraine, terrorism, and Russia can greatly help!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 12, 2017
He also took digs at Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama.
Does the Fake News Media remember when Crooked Hillary Clinton, as Secretary of State, was begging Russia to be our friend with the misspelled reset button? Obama tried also, but he had zero chemistry with Putin.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 12, 2017
Both Trump and Kim have exchanged insults in the past.
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I told Rex Tillerson, our wonderful Secretary of State, that he is wasting his time trying to negotiate with Little Rocket Man...
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 1, 2017
Just heard Foreign Minister of North Korea speak at U.N. If he echoes thoughts of Little Rocket Man, they won't be around much longer!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 24, 2017
In September, Kim memorably called Trump a “dotard,” sending hordes of curious Americans to the web to search for the definition, and the word trended on Twitter.
“I will surely and definitely tame the mentally deranged dotard with fire,” Kim said in a statement released by the North Korean government.
Journalist Jihye Lee said the statement actually used a term that could more accurately be translated as “old beast lunatic,” but it became “dotard” in the English version released by North Korea.
On Sunday, White House counselor Kellyanne Conway defended Trump’s Twitter feud with Kim.
“I think that was the president just responding the way he does to somebody who insulted him first,” she told ABC’s Martha Raddatz, when asked whether “name calling is helpful.”
Conway on Pres. Trump's tweet on Kim Jong Un: That "was the president just responding the way he does to somebody who insulted him first." pic.twitter.com/7I70BxeI3U
— ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) November 12, 2017
Trump, meanwhile, expressed the “possibility” that he could become friends with Kim, when asked about his tweets at a press conference in Vietnam on Sunday.
“Strange things happen in life. That might be a strange thing to happen, but it’s certainly a possibility,” he said. “If that did happen, it would be a good thing for ― I can tell you ― for North Korea. But it would also be good for lots of other places, and it would be good for the world.”
This article has been updated with comments from Conway and Trump on Sunday. Marina Fang contributed reporting.
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