Former NBA star Dennis Rodman said Monday that the White House reached out to him to express appreciation for making the trip to Singapore ahead of President Trump’s summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
In an emotional interview on CNN, Rodman said Trump reached out to him about his past efforts to relay messages from Kim.
“He called, his secretary and she called me and said, ‘Dennis, Donald Trump is so proud of you, and he thanks you a lot,'” Rodman said, apparently referring to press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders.
{mosads}”And that means a lot. All of these years, I somehow had something to do with this North Korea situation, but I don’t want to take credit,” he continued. “I am so thankful to be here. I am glad this is happening. The world saw it. I saw it.”
Rodman’s agent, Darren Prince, told CNN that Sanders called Rodman “to thank him for his effort and being in Singapore and his support of Trump.”
The Hill has reached out to the White House for comment.
The NBA Hall of Famer traveled to Singapore ahead of the historic summit between Trump and Kim, though he is not expected to play a role in the meeting. Trump said last week Rodman is “a nice guy,” but was not invited in an official capacity.
Rodman found himself in a rare position as the summit came together, having met both leaders. He appeared on Trump’s television show “Celebrity Apprentice” and has made several trips to North Korea.
Rodman’s CNN interview took place moments after Trump and Kim shook hands to begin their discussions. The two leaders participated in a one-on-one meeting, and were later joined by members of their respective administrations.
“I feel really great,” Trump said. “It’s going to be a great discussion and, I think, tremendous success.”