The second summit between President Donald Trump and North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un ended abruptly this week with no deal reached, but Dennis Rodman is eager to help facilitate peace on the Korean Peninsula.
Rodman, the former NBA basketball superstar who has long-touted a friendship with Kim, wrote a letter to Trump on Tuesday, before the two-day summit began in Hanoi, Vietnam.
“My continued friendship with Chairman Kim remains strong – a friendship I continue to encourage you to use for our Nation’s benefit,” Rodman wrote. “While I will not be able to attend the Hanoi events, I plan on following up with you, your team and my friend Chairman Kim.”
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— Dennis Rodman (@dennisrodman) February 28, 2019
The summit collapsed on Thursday, very early morning local Eastern time, when reports broke that Trump and Kim were not going to sign an agreement as previously discussed.
“Sometimes you have to walk and I think that was one of these times,” Trump said at a press conference after denuclearization talks came to a halt. “We had some options. At this time we decided not to do any of the options. We’ll see where that goes.”
The rest of Rodman’s letter reads:
“I look forward to talking after this next Summit ends. We have a lot of work to do, but with your diverse team, amazing global contacts and willingness to think outside the box, we can have peace on the Korean Peninsula. We really can.
You are on the cusp of a big, beautiful deal. One that would make you the front runner for a Nobel Peace Prize without question. You have my forever and forever support!
Mr. President and Chairman Kim, I wish you nothing but the best of luck on this second historic Summit… God bless.”
Rodman first visited North Korea in 2013. During that trip, Rodman notoriously sang “Happy Birthday” to Kim Jong Un and referred to him as his “best friend.” Rodman has recently traveled to North Korea as a private citizen, last in June 2017.
Rodman, 57, in the past has embarked on what he referred to as “basketball diplomacy,” playing pick-up games in North Korea with other NBA stars.
Kim Jong Un is reportedly an NBA fan, specifically of the Chicago Bulls. Rodman famously played for the Bulls in the late 1990s.
Aside from his basketball fame, Rodman was also a contestant on the reality TV show Celebrity Apprentice, which President Trump made famous. Trump was not President at the time his show was running on television.
Rodman was a contestant on season eight of The Apprentice, which aired in 2009.
