(CNN) Rudy Giuliani said the White House has not spoken to him about his comments that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un "begged" for a summit between the US and North Korean leaders.

"Not a word," Giuliani told CNN Thursday, adding that "it's a metaphor."

But he acknowledged that he is "not privy to actual details," calling it a "fair interpretation of what happened."

Speaking at a conference in Tel Aviv Wednesday, Giuliani said "Kim Jong Un got back on his hands and knees and begged for it, which is exactly the position you want to put him in."

The comments were striking, especially after fiery rhetoric about Vice President Mike Pence from North Korea temporarily derailed the summit.

Read More