
Donald Trump said Thursday that America is respected around the globe again as a result of his leadership as he celebrated the release of three detainees from North Korea at a rally in Indiana.

Trump said his approach to dealing with North Korea is 'leading to some very big things'.

The U.S. president continued: 'And I think that Kim Jong-un did a great service to himself, to his country, by doing this.

'I'll be meeting with Kim Jong Un to secure a future of peace and prosperity for the world and the relationship is good.'

He added: 'America is being respected again.'

Riding high from the prisoner release, Trump mocked former President Barack Obama for what amounted to a ransom payment to Iran during his administration to ensure the safe return of five detainees from Tehran.

'Obama, President Obama, paid $1.8billion for hostages,' Trump said of a settlement that Obama's government paid out only if the prisoners were released. 'We didn't pay for them!' the sitting president said of his own administration.

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Donald Trump said Thursday that America is respected around the globe again as a result of his leadership as he celebrated the release of three detainees from North Korea at a rally in Indiana

'President Obama, paid $1.8billion for hostages,' Trump said of a settlement that Obama's government paid out. 'We didn't pay for them!' the sitting president said of his own administration

Trump was greeted to the crowd of 7,500 supporters in Elkhart, Indiana, with chants of 'U S A'

Trump also talked up the economy, telling a rowdy audience 'we making America proud. We are rockin'

Trump told his supporters that it had been suggested to him that he cancel the campaign event after a 4:30 am return to the White House from Joint Base Andrews in suburban Maryland.

'And I said, "You just don't know the people of Indiana. I don't have the courage,"' Trump joked.

The President and Vice President were in Elkhart to congratulate Mike Braun, the businessman and former state representative who won Tuesday's GOP Senate primary for Indiana.

Vice President Mike Pence joined Trump at the airport early Thursday morning and also flew with him to Indiana the very same evening. The former governor of the state, Pence was also in high spirits as he made a rare appearance on his home turf.

What the world saw this week is an American president who embraces his role as leader of the free world Mike Pence on Donald Trump

'It was humbling for me to be there,' the VP said of his Thursday morning excursion to Andrews. 'And it never would have happened without the strong, clear, resolute leadership of President Donald Trump.'

Pence told the crowd, 'What the world saw this week is an American president who embraces his role as leader of the free world.'

He specifically lauded Trump for withdrawing the U.S. 'disastrous' Iran nuclear deal.

'He is a man of his word. He is a man of action. And how about all the action this week,' the Indiana native said to cheers. 'This president took action on Iran. We saw progress on North Korea, and the new American embassy will open in Jerusalem.'

The president and vice president and their spouses were up at the crack of dawn to welcome the three Americans imprisoned in North Korea back to the U.S.

Kim Dong Chul, Kim Hak Song and Tony Kim received a hero's welcome, with Donald and Melania Trump clapping and cheering as the men walked down the steps with their arms in the air and giving triumphant 'V' signs, signifying both peace and victory.

Then Trump said the words most observers thought no American president would ever utter: 'We want to thank Kim Jong-un.'

'These are great people. Frankly, we didn't think this was going to happen, but it did. It was important to get these people out. This is a special night for these three really great people,' Trump said in Maryland.

At his Indiana event, Trump said he made sure the detainees were 'welcomed home the proper way' that morning.

'You know what gets you into nuclear wars, and you know what gets you into other wars? Weakness,' Trump said, before switching back to Kim. 'So the relationship is good, and hopefully, I mean for all of us in the world, and hopefully something very good is going to happen. And they understand it's very important to them. It's important to everybody.'

Vice President Mike Pence joined Trump at the airport early Thursday morning and also flew with him to Indiana the very same evening. The former governor of the state, Pence was also in high spirits. They are seen together on stage at the rally

Trump also warned of the potential consequences of Democratic wins in the midterms in November that threaten to derail his agenda in Congress

Trump also warned of the potential consequences of Democratic wins in the midterms in November that threaten to derail his agenda in Congress. He branded Joe Donnelly a 'swamp person'

Pence told the crowd: 'He is a man of his word. He is a man of action. And how about all the action this week.' He's pictured above on stage with his wife Karen

The President and Vice President were in Elkhart, Indiana, to congratulate Mike Braun (pictured), the businessman and former state representative who won Tuesday's GOP Senate primary there

Trump thanked Kim for freeing 'the folks early' in Maryland earlier in the day, saying it was 'sort of understood' they'd be released during his planned summit with the 33-year-old despot.

The president said it's his sense that Kim 'really wants to do something' and bring the hermit kingdom 'into the real world.'

He stated: 'We're starting off on a new footing. I really think we have a very good chance of doing something very meaningful, and if anybody would've said that five years ago, 10 years ago, even a year ago, you would've said, "That's not possible." '

Later on Thursday Trump announced that his first-ever in person meeting with Kim would take place in Singapore on June 12.

'I think it's going to be a very big success,' he said of the planned face-to-face with Kim during the rally in Indiana. 'But my attitude is, and if it isn't, it isn't, OK? If it isn't, it isn't. But - and you have to have that, because you don't know - we're not going to be walking into an Iran deal, where the negotiator John Kerry refused to leave the table.'

Trump also said this week that he was pulling the U.S. out the nuclear deal the Obama administration negotiated with Tehran in 2015. He referred to the Iran deal as 'disastrous' in his speech, saying that it would ultimately have allowed the Middle Eastern country to obtain a nuclear weapon.

'I hope to be able to make a deal with them, a good deal, a fair deal,' Trump said. 'But we cannot allow them to have nuclear weapons. We must be able to go to a site and check that site. We have to be able to go into their military bases to see whether or not they’re cheating.'

The president said he believes a new agreement is possible because his administration is 'putting the harshest, strongest, most stringent sanctions on Iran' now that he's ditched the previous accord.

Trump told his supporters that it had been suggested to him that the cancel the campaign event after a 4.30am return to the White House from Joint Base Andrews in suburban Maryland. 'And I said, 'You just don't know the people of Indiana. I don't have the courage,' 'Trump joked

The president and vice president and their spouses were up at the crack of dawn to welcome the three Americans imprisoned in North Korea back to the U.S. Crowds at the Indiana rally later in the day are seen above, with Trump on stage

At the campaign event Trump also set his sights on Indiana Democrat Joe Donnelly, who's up for reelection in November.

'Now if Joe Donnelly, Sleepin' Joe, and the Democrats get back into power, remember what I said, they will raise your taxes,' he claimed. 'They will destroy your jobs, and they are going to knock the hell out of your borders.'

The president said that Donnelly would 'do whatever Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi tell him to do' and 'say one thing' to constituents while fully intending to vote with the Democrats' 'radical, liberal agenda' in Washington.

He pushed his new 'Keep America Great' slogan at the event sponsored by his 2020 campaign, noting that two years from now it wouldn't make sense for him to say he wants to 'Make America Great Again' having already held high office.

Trump said that he paid nothing for his new slogan, while lots of politicians pay millions for a tagline. He used the line to launch his attack on Obama over the money the U.S. unfroze of Iran's just before Tehran released five detainees.

Giving himself a pat on the back for getting the the Americans who'd been held captive home from North Korea safely, Trump said: 'They came out for nothing. And the others came out for 1.8 billion in cash, can you believe it?'

Trump's political advisers see the rally as a way to project party unity following a bruising primary

Pence said, 'What the world saw this week is an American president who embraces his role as leader of the free world'

He says he doesn't think 'we've ever done better as a country.' He says, 'We making America proud. We are rockin'

Trump cast the prisoner release as unrelated to the summit with Kim on Thursday, even though the date and location were announced only after the three men were on the U.S. mainland.

'This is what people have been waiting for for a long time. Nobody thought we could be on this track in terms of speed,' Trump said of nuclear summit with Kim while in Maryland.

The White House had few additional details on the meeting to offer on Thursday evening. Aside from the announced date, the president's deputy spokesman said he could not comment on how long the talks would last or whether Trump would have one-on-one time with Kim.

Singapore was chosen, White House spokesman Raj Shah said, because the country can be trusted to 'ensure both the president’s security and Kim Jong Un’s security as well as provide neutrality.'

At his Indiana event, Trump said he made sure the detainees were 'welcomed home the proper way' that morning. Trump is pictured arriving at the Indiana rally

At his Indiana event, Trump said he made sure the detainees were 'welcomed home the proper way' that morning. Trump walks toward members of the media after greeting the three American citizens Kim Hak-Song, Kim Dong-Chul, and Kim Sang-Duk, who were detained in North Korea

Trump and the first lady boarded a plane to welcome the men home after they were freed by North Korea and arrived at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland

Kim Dong-chul, speaking about his time in North Korea, said: 'We were treated in many different ways. For me, I had to do a lot of labor. But when I got sick, I was also treated by them'

Trump confirmed early Wednesday that the American prisoners would be coming back to the U.S. with Seceretary of State Pompeo. The president said he'd be waiting for them when they landed at Andrews.

'This is a great honor. Hopefully everything is going to work out at the highest level. We want to thank Kim Jong-un, who really was excellent to these three incredible people,' Trump said from the tarmac. 'They are really three incredible people. And the fact that we were able to get them out so soon was really a tribute to a lot of things, including a certain process that’s taking place right now. And that process is very important.'

One of the freed Americans said through a translator who relayed his sentiment that being home felt 'like a dream' and that the men were 'very, very happy' to be freed. They later gave President Trump a round of applause.

Kim Dong-chul, speaking about his time in North Korea through the translator, said: 'We were treated in many different ways. For me, I had to do a lot of labor. But when I got sick, I was also treated by them.'

Trump's claim that Kim 'was excellent to these three incredible people,' was in contrast to Vice President Mike Pence's suggestion in an ABC interview they had endured harsh conditions.

Pence said Pompeo told him that at a refueling stop in Anchorage, 'one of the detainees asked to go outside the plane because he hadn't seen daylight in a very long time.'

Shah said the White House was not under any 'illusions' about the prisoners' time doing hard labor, as he took questions on Air Force One.

'The whole nation should be pleased with the release of these three Americans. I don’t think anybody’s under any illusions about what life was like in a North Korean prison camp,' he said. 'But nonetheless, the president, the vice president, the entire U.S. government, Secretary Pompeo and everybody else, is pleased to see the release of these three American citizens.'

Donald Trump and Melania welcomed three Americans imprisoned in North Korea back to America to cheers and applause

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, right, warmly embraced former North Korean detainee Tony Kim upon tthe plane's 2:00 a.m. arrival at a Maryland air base