President Donald Trump said Saturday that his upcoming talks with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un could lead to "the greatest deal for the world — and for all of these countries, including, frankly, North Korea."
"A lot of people thought we were going to war," Trump told a rally for Pennsylvania state Republican Rep. Rick Saccone in Moon Township, who is facing a special election on Tuesday for Congress.
"All of a sudden, they come in," he added, referring to South Korean officials who delivered Kim's invitation to Trump on Thursday.
"We'll have a meeting — and no more missiles going off, and they want to denuclearize.
"Nobody had ever heard of that."
The South Korean officials announced later Thursday that Trump agreed to a meeting by May and that Pyongyang had agreed to denuclearize and suspend its weapons-testing as a condition for the face-off.
White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Friday that no meeting would happen "until we see concrete actions that match the words and rhetoric" of Kim.
"Who knows what's going to happen," Trump said Saturday at Atlantic Aviation, near Pittsburgh International Airport. "Hey, who knows?
"If it happens, if it doesn't happen.
"I may leave fast, or we may sit down and make the greatest deal for the world — and for all of these countries, including, frankly, North Korea.
"That's what I hope happens."
President Trump also thanked South Korea and China for their efforts, ripped previous administrations for not extinguishing Pyongyang's nuclear ambitions, and slammed the news media for its morning-after negative coverage of the development.
He said South Korean President Moon Jae-in praised United States' efforts in the Winter Olympics last month.
"It's a little hard to sell tickets when you think you're going to be nuked," Trump said.
"South Korea did a great job," he added. "It was great to see North Korea going and participating — and there was a nice unity."
Trump later added, however: "Look, North Korea's tough.
"They're testing nuclear weapons. They're doing a lot of things.
"This should have been handled over the last 30 years. Not now.
"That's when it should have been handled.
"I think they want to do something," Trump said, referring to the upcoming talks. "I think they want to make peace.
"I think it's time — and I think we've shown great strength," he added. "That's also important."
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