Former NBA star Rodman joins Trump as he eyes meeting with North Korea’s Kim

Basketball legend Dennis Rodman joined Donald Trump during an event in Texas on Oct 1 as the US president angles for another meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

Rodman, who has travelled to North Korea multiple times, was seen at a Peterbilt Motors facility in a suburb outside Dallas, where Trump was delivering a speech touting his tariff policies.

Ahead of his remarks, Trump sidestepped questions from reporters about why Rodman was in attendance. When asked if he was using the former NBA star to help broker peace with Pyongyang, the president replied he had a “good relationship” with the reclusive country.

“As long as I’m here, you’re not gonna have any problems” Trump said. “Somebody else comes, you gonna have some big problems.”

In addition to meeting Kim, Rodman also has longstanding ties to Trump, having appeared on his former reality show The Celebrity Apprentice.

The president is expected to travel to Asia in November, where he is expected to hold another summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping. That trip could potentially stand as another opportunity to meet the North Korean strongman, whom he met three times during his first term.

Trump in August resumed his overtures to North Korea, as his administration pressured South Korea to deliver on US$350 billion (S$448 billion) in investment pledges. At the time, he also directed the Pentagon to cut back military exercises with Seoul.

The president said that month Kim had responded to requests for the two leaders to have a conversation, calling it a “very positive” development. But North Korea denied that the two men had any direct communications and criticised the US’s “hostile” policies.

Rodman’s ties with North Korea have led some to see him as a conduit for easing tensions with Pyongyang. But others have criticised him over his visits to the country, saying that Rodman’s actions helped legitimise Kim and amplify his regime’s propaganda.

During one visit, Rodman sang Happy Birthday to the North Korean leader. In 2018, Rodman openly wept during an interview as Kim and Trump prepared to meet, calling it a “great day”.

The New York Post previously reported that Trump and Rodman were slated to meet on Oct 1. BLOOMBERG