The US president’s comments came after he was asked why North Korea could have nuclear weapons if Iran cannot.
Published September 30, 2026
US President Donald Trump has downplayed concerns about North Korea’s nuclear arsenal, describing North Korean leader Kim Jong Un as a “friend” and saying, “As long as I’m here, he’ll be fine.”
President Trump made the remarks Tuesday in Washington, D.C., in response to a reporter’s question about why North Korea can have nuclear weapons but Iran cannot.
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“That’s interesting. You know why? Because previous presidents were different and they could have stopped him,” he said, referring to previous US administrations.
“He happens to be my friend, Kim Jong-un. He’s my friend. He likes Trump, but he doesn’t like many other people. I’m the only person in the world who likes him, and I like him too,” he said.
He said North Korea’s nuclear capabilities are “quite large” but “different from ours.”
“You know, as long as I’m around, he’ll be fine,” he added. “Do you know why? Because he respects me and likes me.”
South Korea’s Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-bak said last week that its northern neighbor had between 80 and 120 nuclear warheads. This number is significantly higher than President Trump’s recent claim that North Korea has 57 nuclear weapons.
As the US and Israel’s war against Iran enters its eighth month, President Trump is once again working with Kim to ensure victory on the international stage.
The US president said on February 28 that Iran cannot have nuclear weapons and go to war with Israel. Iran denies seeking weapons, pointing out that it signed a deal with world powers in 2015 to curb its nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief. However, President Trump abandoned the agreement during his first term in 2018.
The U.S. and Israel’s war against Iran has disrupted global energy supplies, raised fuel costs and dealt a blow to President Trump’s popularity ahead of November’s midterm elections.
President Trump held summits with North Korea’s Kim in 2018 and 2019, but diplomacy broke down over U.S. demands for North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons. Since then, Mr. Kim has strengthened his diplomatic footprint by expanding his arsenal of nuclear-capable missiles, aligning himself with Russia over the Ukraine war, and strengthening ties with China.
President Trump has previously said he plans to meet directly with Kim before the end of the year.
However, North Korea has not formally committed to such talks.
