Sign up for our daily briefing
Make your busy days simpler with Axios AM/PM. Catch up on what's new and why it matters in just 5 minutes.
Stay on top of the latest market trends
Subscribe to Axios Markets for the latest market trends and economic insights. Sign up for free.
Sports news worthy of your time
Binge on the stats and stories that drive the sports world with Axios Sports. Sign up for free.
Tech news worthy of your time
Get our smart take on technology from the Valley and D.C. with Axios Login. Sign up for free.
Get the inside stories
Get an insider's guide to the new White House with Axios Sneak Peek. Sign up for free.
Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday
Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday
Want a daily digest of the top Denver news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Denver
Want a daily digest of the top Des Moines news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Des Moines
Want a daily digest of the top Twin Cities news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Twin Cities
Want a daily digest of the top Tampa Bay news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Tampa Bay
Want a daily digest of the top Charlotte news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Charlotte
Photo: BULLIT MARQUEZ/AFP/Getty Images
President Trump told the Wall Street Journal Thursday that he "probably" has a "very good relationship with Kim Jong-un," the North Korean leader who has called him and "dotard" and whom he has repeatedly called "Little Rocket Man"
“I have relationships with people. I think you people are surprised," he said in the interview. Trump would not say whether he had spoken with Kim.
Trump also said Mexico could "indirectly" pay for a border wall because the U.S. would use "a small percentage" of the money gained from renegotiating NAFTA for the wall: "Guess what? Mexico’s paying.”
More from the interview:
- On NAFTA: "he said he would terminate the agreement unless the sides could agree on a fair deal—'a Trump deal,' he called it—but added that he was 'leaving it a little bit flexible' until after Mexico’s presidential election later this year.
- On the Mueller probe: "Mr. Trump also said that messages traded between a pair of FBI employees who had been involved in the Mueller investigation amounted to treason."
- On North Korea: Mr. Trump framed his own comments as part of a broader strategy. 'You’ll see that a lot with me,' he said about combative tweets, 'and then all of the sudden somebody’s my best friend. I could give you 20 examples. You could give me 30. I’m a very flexible person.'"
Go deeper: Full transcript