President Donald Trump continues to defend Kim and the joint statement they signed at the conclusion of the summit. | Nicholas Kamm/AFP/Getty Images Trump: I want 'my people' to 'sit up at attention' like in North Korea The president later said he was 'kidding' with the remark.

President Donald Trump said Friday that he wants "my people" to “sit up at attention” the way North Koreans do for dictator Kim Jong Un.

The comment came during an impromptu interview with Fox News on the White House's North Lawn, days after Trump met with Kim in Singapore as part of an effort to reach a denuclearization deal with Pyongyang. When asked about whether Kim would be visiting the White House any time soon, Trump responded “it could happen.” He then went on to praise the dictator for being a strong leader.


“He’s the head of a country and I mean he is the strong head,” Trump said to Fox. “Don’t let anyone think anything different. He speaks and his people sit up at attention. I want my people to do the same.”

When later asked by another reporter to expand on the remark, Trump said he was "kidding."

"You don't understand sarcasm," he added.

It's not clear if Trump was referring to his staff or to a broader set of Americans when he referred to "my people."

The comments were the latest example of warm sentiments Trump has recently expressed toward Kim, after previously taunting him as “little rocket man” and a “sick puppy.”

In the wake of Trump’s summit with Kim in Singapore earlier this week, the president has called Kim "talented" and a "funny guy" with a "great personality” – comments that have sparked a backlash because of the atrocities Kim is accused of carrying out on his own people, including starvation and widespread imprisonment.

More broadly, Trump has received a strong backlash for his apparent affinity for authoritarians like Kim and Russian President Vladimir Putin, while criticizing U.S. allies, including Canada and Germany. After the G7 summit in Quebec, Trump in a tweet accused Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of making "false statements," and said he instructed the U.S. not to endorse the final G7 communique.

Meanwhile, Trump continues to defend Kim and the joint statement they signed at the conclusion of the summit. The president tweeted Wednesday “There is no longer a Nuclear Threat from North Korea.” He has also dismissed criticism of Kim’s human rights offenses.

Trump continued to express nice thoughts about Kim on Friday, telling reporters the two "really hit it off" during the summit and that "we have a very good relationship with North Korea."

On Friday, when asked why he doesn’t vigorously criticize Kim's human rights record, Trump expressed an interest in preventing a nuclear attack.

"You know why? I don't want to see a nuclear weapon destroy you and your family," he said.

He also characterized his meeting with Kim as a great success, despite skepticism about whether he gave too much away — including the halt of joint military exercises with South Korea — for only a vague pledge from North Korea to move toward denuclearization.

"I did a great job this weekend," Trump said. "The fake news said, Oh, you met. The only thing they saw that I gave up. I met, we had great chemistry. He gave us a lot."



CLARIFICATION: This article has been updated to include that it wasn't clear who Trump was referring to when he said "my people."