«Little Rocket Man»
Here’s how Kim reacted to Trump’s mocking nickname
In 2017, Donald Trump began calling North Korean leader Kim Jong Un “Little Rocket Man.” Only a year later did he explain to him why he gave him this nickname and what role Elton John played in it.
1/8
Donald Trump, former US President, started calling North Korean leader Kim Jong Un “Little Rocket Man” in 2017.
In 2017, former US President Donald Trump (76) began calling North Korean leader Kim Jong Un (39) “Little Rocket Man”. He came up with the nickname and also used it publicly on Twitter. In one of his speeches, Trump also referred to Jong Un as “Little Rocket Man”.
This derisive moniker did not go unnoticed in North Korea. Kim Jong Un then began calling Trump a “scared dog” and a “fool.” The then US President countered and warned that if there were further threats against the US, there would be reactions that would not only contain words.
The situation was tense. Trump meant well, as the recently published book “Never Give an Inch. Fighting for the America I Love” by Mike Pompeo (59), who was Secretary of State under Trump. In it, Pompeo describes a meeting between Trump and Kim Jong Un on June 12, 2018 in Singapore.
«Rocketman, okay. Little, not okay»
The two heads of state met for a meal. Trump asked whether Kim Jong Un knew the British singer Elton John (75) and his song “Rocket Man” from 1972. He said no. “Trump said it was a great song and he meant the reference as a compliment,” Pompeo writes in his book.
Kim Jong Un and the other lunch attendees then reportedly laughed. And the North Korean dictator said, according to Pompeo: “Rocket man, okay. Little, not okay.”
It wasn’t the first time Donald Trump gave nicknames to other politicians. During his race for the White House, it was his opponents turn. He called Ted Cruz (52), Republican Senator, “Lyin’ Ted” (in German: “lying Ted”). Jeb Bush (69), former governor, was given the name “Low Energy Jeb” (in German: “floppy Jeb”). And finally Hillary Clinton (75), whom he called “Crooked Hillary” (in German: “fraudulent Hillary”). (lrc)
External Content
Would you like to see this supplementary content (Tweet, Instagram, etc.)? If you agree that cookies are set and data is thereby transmitted to external providers, you can allow all cookies and display external content directly.