US President Donald Trump on late Saturday said that the US will be meeting with North Korea as he delivered a speech at the annual Gridiron Dinner held in Washington. His comments proved further that negotiations about a possible dialog between the US and North Korea are on track and advancing.
Trump said that he will not rule out direct talks with North Korean President Kim Jong Un. The President was addressing an audience of over 600 attendees. His speech at the Renaissance Washington Hotel on Saturday lasted 35 minutes. He added that a few days earlier, North Korea had expressed interest in meeting with the US and he expressed common interest. He then said to wait and see what comes of it, suggesting that probably positive things are will come from the meeting.
Despite the President said repeatedly that they would meet with North Korea, the White House did not immediately respond to questions regarding the authenticity of Trump’s comments. Trump repeatedly expressed his interest in negotiating with North Korea, even though Vice President Mike Pence pulled out of an undisclosed meeting with representatives of the North Korean government during last month’s Winter Olympics held in South Korea.
For the rest of his speech, Trump enthusiastically dove into his first appearance at a formal Washington event since his inauguration. He made fun of himself, saying that he told people not to worry since no one does “self-deprecating” better than he does and a list of people including his wife Melania Trump, his son-in-law Jared Kushner, his ex-top advisor Steve Bannon, some senior Democrats and even Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin’s wife Louise Linton.
The president also spoke on the chaos at the White House saying that so many people have made their way out of the White House; that it has been exciting and invigorating. He made more fun by asking whether Steve Miller or his wife Melania would be the next one to leave. Trump also spoke satirically about global warming and how to reduce it saying that they would reduce the carbon footprint when they travel by reducing the press pool leaving room for only Judge Jeanine, Lou Dobbs, and Sean Hannity.
The president last year did not attend the Gridiron Club and the White House Correspondents Association annual gatherings. His speech at this year’s Gridiron Dinner was full of jokes and satiric; therefore, the genuineness of his interest in meeting with North Korea is uncertain.
