Dennis Rodman gave a surreal interview as he, while decked in a “Make America Great Again” hat and a t-shirt advertising a cannabis cryptocurrency, discussed how excited he was to see the meeting between Kim Jong-un and Donald Trump, and his bitterness over not having been taken seriously prior to this.
Folks, I don’t think to say these are weird times we’re living in is a controversial statement, but — these are weird times we are living in. Back when our world was just the “wow, interesting times” kind of deeply weird, instead of “hey, is there going to be an America in ten years?” kind of deeply weird, Dennis Rodman began a surreal friendship with Kim Jong-un after the North Korean dictator invited Rodman as a fan of the Chicago Bulls. The friendship had weird ups and downs, as the NBA player continued to bring other NBA players to visit Kim Jong-un and often intervened in U.S. and North Korean relations, such as when he defended the imprisonment of, then lobbied for the release of, Kenneth Bae.
In 2017, Rodman gave Kim Jong-un a copy of Donald Trump’s “Art of the Deal”, ghostwritten by now Trump critic Tony Schwartz, and in the passionate interview seems like he felt he played a role in the two world leaders getting together.
Rodman discusses, amongst other things, his bitterness over Barack Obama not wanting to meet with him regarding possible talks between North Korea and the United States, and his empathy for well — pretty much just Kim Jong-un. It’s a ridiculous amount of love for a man who is best known for killing his own family members and destroying the lives of his own people.
It’s an odd interview, and it was followed by the incredibly odd meeting between Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un in Singapore wherein the pair signed a document stating North Korea’s dedication to the de-nuclearization of the North Korean peninsula and with the U.S. offering protection to North Korea. Given the instability of both men, we will see if they stay committed to this goal. For now, it is another brick in the highly questionable new America that Donald Trump is building.