Trump tells Kim Jong Un that Joe Biden is 'somewhat better' than a 'rabid dog'

William Cummings | USA TODAY

Show Caption Hide Caption Trump: Impeachment inquiry 'hard on my family' President Trump said that he didn't need help from Ukraine to beat Joe Biden, and that efforts to impeach him were "very hard" on his family. (Nov. 15)

President Donald Trump on Sunday told North Korean leader Kim Jong Un that his regime was overstating when it called former Vice President Joe Biden a "rabid dog."

"Mr. Chairman, Joe Biden may be Sleepy and Very Slow, but he is not a 'rabid dog'," the president tweeted in a tepid defense of the 2020 Democratic presidential candidate. He added that Biden is "actually somewhat better than that."

Last week, North Korean state media hurled a series of insults at Biden and said, "Rabid dogs like Biden can hurt lots of people if they are allowed to run out of control." The statement said that such dogs "must be beaten to death with a stick, before it is too late."

The regime's attack on Biden was apparently in response to a Biden campaign ad that referred to Kim as a "tyrant."

After defending Biden, the president then referred to the efforts to negotiate an agreement aimed at halting North Korea's nuclear weapons program, telling Kim "I am the only one who can get you where you have to be. You should act quickly, get the deal done. See you soon!"

Mr. Chairman, Joe Biden may be Sleepy and Very Slow, but he is not a “rabid dog.” He is actually somewhat better than that, but I am the only one who can get you where you have to be. You should act quickly, get the deal done. See you soon! https://t.co/kO2k14lTf7 — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 17, 2019

Trump and Kim do not have another summit scheduled at the moment. Nuclear talks between the U.S. and Noth Korea broke down last month in Sweden. But the North Koreans said Thursday that the U.S. had offered to restart the stalled negotiations in December.

More: Sarah Huckabee Sanders says Trump agrees with Kim Jong Un that Joe Biden is "Low IQ"

Trump was not as quick to defend the former vice president in May, when North Korean state media called him a "fool of low IQ" and an "imbecile bereft of elementary quality as a human being."

North Korea fired off some small weapons, which disturbed some of my people, and others, but not me. I have confidence that Chairman Kim will keep his promise to me, & also smiled when he called Swampman Joe Biden a low IQ individual, & worse. Perhaps that’s sending me a signal? — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 26, 2019

At that time, Trump tweeted that he "smiled when he called Swampman Joe Biden a low IQ individual, & worse." Critics slammed the president for appearing to back an enemy's attack on a fellow American leader.

Then-White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said Trump and Kim "agree in their assessment" of Biden but that the president was not siding with Kim.

Trump is currently facing an impeachment inquiry sparked by allegations that he pressured Ukraine into conducting an investigation into Biden for political purposes. And last month, he suggested China should investigate Biden as well.

Contributing: Nicholas Wu, USA TODAY; The Associated Press