Dennis Rodman used an appearance on Megyn Kelly Today to try and humanize North Korean leader Kim Jong-un while the NBC host openly mocked the fact that the former NBA star with 70 arrests was now a diplomat.
He told Kelly that the two love to jet ski and sing karaoke when they are together on the leader’s private island.
Rodman also revealed that he was the third choice to meet Kim Jong-un when he first traveled to North Korea.
‘He was asking about my basketball in America. And his favorite team was Chicago. The Bulls. He asked Michael Jordan – he asked the team for Michael Jordan. And Michael said, no,’ said Rodman.
‘He asked Scottie Pippen. “No, I’ll pass that one.” He asked me, “I said, okay, I’ll go.” As blind as I was, I think I’m going for another gig, shaking hands, taking pictures and stuff like that. I didn’t know anything about.’
Greetings: Dennis Rodman used a appearance on Megyn Kelly Today on Tuesday to try and humanize Kim Jong-un, who he described as a ‘funny guy’ (Kelly and Rodman above)
Kim and Don: Rodman revealed that Sarah Huckabee Sanders called him after the summit between Kim Jong-un and Trump (above) to say the president was ‘very grateful’
It seems that Rodman is now willingly blind, with Kelly playing along for the first two segments before pressing the diplomat about Kim Jong-un’s human rights record.
‘According to the Institute for National Security strategy, in his first six years as leader, he ordered the executions of 340 people. In 2016, Kim Jong gin was killed in front of a firing squad, after showing disrespectful posture in a meeting,’ stated Kelly.
‘A general fell asleep in a meeting. He was executed with an anti-aircraft gun. Kim Jong-un’s estranged brother was killed by chemical weapons.’
She continued: ‘They say Kim Jong-un is guilty of extermination, murder, forced abortions, knowingly causing prolonged starvation, and so on, all according to a U.N. Report on North Korea. For context, that’s a guy you’re calling a great guy.’
Rodman, looking slightly irritated, asked: ‘Are you done?’
Kelly then pointed out that this was the same person he was calling a ‘great guy.’
Rodman responded by stating: ‘I was blind when I went over the first time. I knew nothing about that. And until this day, I still don’t know anything about that.’
He later stated that it was not his job to ‘figure it out.’
‘How is that different than saying Hitler is nice to me,’ asked Kelly after Rodman tried to dodge the question.
‘You’re not going to back me into a corner. I’ve done that. I’ve took my lumps. I’m not going to take them anymore,’ responded Rodman.
‘I’m not saying this is a great guy. He was good to me. Especially the fact, all the things you said right there, I have no clue. I never seen that. No one’s ever seen it on TV. It’s all hearsay.’
Rodman later spoke about his decision to go to Singapore during the historic summit between President Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un, saying he did not speak to anyone in the administration before or after the meeting between the two leaders.
He then immediately contradicted that when Kelly asked him to talk about the conversation he had with Sarah Huckabee Sanders after President Trump had met with Kim Jong-un.
‘I didn’t know who she was because I kept calling her honey. Okay, honey, what’s up?’ said Rodman.
He went on to state that Sanders told him how ‘very grateful’ President Trump was for his diplomatic efforts
Big three: The NBA star revealed he was Kim Jong-un’s third choice to visit, with the Bulls fans first requesting Michael Jordan and then Scottie Pippen (Jordan, Rodman and Pippen above in 1998)
Odd duo: Kelly openly mocked the fact that Rodman was a North Korean diplomat given his background and the fact that he had been arrested 70 times (Rodman and Kim Jong-un in 2014 above)
Rodman also said he hoped to be going back to North Korea very soon when the ban was lifted, which would mark his sixth trip to the nation.
The NBA star closed out the intervew by revealed that Kim Jong-un had promised he would always be safe no matter what the relationship was between North Korea and the United States.
His protection is so guaranteed that he claims officials in Guam asked him to travel to the country when North Korea fired a missile over the island.
‘This is a true story. My guys will tell you that. I said, okay. We flew to Guam. When I got off the plane, they’re like, thank you, thank you. We’re safe. Wait a minute. Hold on. It’s like, whoa,’ explained Rodman.
Kelly than closed the interview by bringing up one more human rights abuse that was carried out by the North Korean leader.
‘I think of Otto Warmbier’s family and what happened over there. He pulled down a poster and was sentenced to death, pretty much,’ stated Kelly.
‘Can’t you say these things have happened, can you make them stop? If you just inherited this regime, can’t you do better?’
Rodman responded: ‘That’s not my job title. If I went that direction, he would lose faith in me, as far as being a friend.’
He then added: ‘I try to keep it social like that because those things are for the White House, for people that’s experts at that. I can’t go there and be a diplomat and this and that, I can’t be all these things.’