James Clapper tells CNN's Chris Cuomo that Dennis Rodman is 'our best resource' for understanding Trump, Kim Jong Un

(Image credit: Adek Berry/AFP/Getty Images)

Former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper made a surprising revelation on Monday night regarding Dennis Rodman and his place in negotiations between the U.S. and North Korea.

On CNN, Cuomo Prime Time host Chris Cuomo mused that the former basketball player, who has befriended North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, knows President Trump, and is in Singapore during their historic summit, "is our best resource at this point right now for understanding the minds of the two men, especially Kim Jong Un." And yes, Clapper knows how "weird" that is. "This whole thing is unconventional," he said.

Clapper said he had "long been an advocate of involving Dennis Rodman. He is a unique person since he has a relationship with both Kim Jong Un and with Donald Trump. And obviously he has a great rapport with Kim Jong Un, who is a basketball fanatic himself. So, I think there's a potential here to engage Dennis Rodman in a serious way in promoting this relationship."

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Clapper made his remarks prior to Cuomo's live interview with Rodman, who urged Trump to go into the meeting with "your heart on the table."

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Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.