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President Donald Trump.
- President Donald Trump made a joke about North Korea's recent willingness to conduct talks with the US, taking personal credit for the development.
- But the joke appeared to fall flat: "Nobody got that," Trump said as he shook his head.
- Following a South Korean delegation's trip to North Korea, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un expressed a willingness to hold talks with the US.
A joke made by President Donald Trump during a joint press conference with Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Löfven appeared to go over the heads of reporters on Tuesday.
Asked by a reporter what he attributed the recent diplomatic overtures from North Korea to, Trump gave a terse response.
"Me," Trump said.
After a brief pause, Trump shook his head.
"Nobody got that," Trump continued.
Trump has previously joked about North Korean relations, which has seen an uptick following the 2018 Winter Olympics. After South Korea sent a delegation to North Korea, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un expressed a willingness to talk to the US on denuclearizing, according to South Korea's presidential office on Tuesday.
"I think that they are sincere, but I think they are sincere also because the sanctions and what we're doing with respect to North Korea, including, you know, the great help that we've been given from China," Trump said, referring to a new set of US sanctions and China's growing role in enforcing them.
"But the sanctions have been very very strong," Trump continued. "And very biting. And we don't want that to happen."
"I hope they are sincere. We're going to see and find out."