On Tuesday, it was reported that former NBA player Dennis Rodman would be in Singapore ready to make an appearance at the United States-North Korean summit between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un scheduled for June 12.
A source told the New York Post that Rodman would be flying to Singapore a day before the planned meeting between Trump and Kim Jong Un. They went on to say that he could even be a part of the negotiations.
“No matter what you might think about his presence. One thing’s for sure the ratings will be huge,” the source said. “A lot of times in situations that involve complex diplomacy countries like to identify ambassadors of goodwill and whether you agree with it or not Dennis Rodman fits the bill.”
Rodman being in the country at the same time as the summit could be a distraction, but it could also help Trump immensely in negotiations with Kim Jong Un.
Kim is supposedly a “friend for life” to Rodman. The NBA Hall of Famer has been to North Korea multiple times, and in the last year, gave Kim “The Art of the Deal” in order to help better understand Trump.
That’s incredibly beneficial for both parties going into these negotiations, but especially Trump. Kim already has some familiarity of Trump through years of watching him in the public lens, but also reading his ghost-written book. Trump doesn’t have that same opportunity. Kim is still, to many Americans, an enigma. That’s where Dennis Rodman comes into play.
You need both sides to be comfortable with each other in order to come to an agreement that’s beneficial to both sides. If Trump is going to get the North Koreans to completely dismantle their nuclear weapons program, who better to get him over the hump than the American that probably knows him the best: Dennis Rodman?
