White House pushes back after Trump says the first lady has 'gotten to know' Kim Jong Un


There's only one Trump who is buddy-buddy with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, and that's the president, the White House clarified on Monday.
During a news conference in France on Monday, Trump was asked about Iran, but started talking about North Korea, The Washington Post reports. "I also say that, by the way, with respect to North Korea, Kim Jong Un — who I've gotten to know extremely well; the first lady had gotten to know Kim Jong Un, and I think she'd agree with me — he is a man with a country that has tremendous potential," Trump said.
Not long after, White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham released a statement saying the first lady has never personally met Kim, but President Trump feels like she has because he "confides in his wife on many issues, including the detailed elements of his strong relationship with Chairman Kim." Trump has met Kim three times and often touts the glowing letters he receives from him.
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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.
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