by Frank Platko ’18

For all Trump’s threats of “Fire and Fury,” signs are emerging that an unexpected bromance is forming between Kim Jong-un and Donald Trump, who Kim once called a “dotard.”

“Behind the scenes, Trump sings a much different tune on North Korea,” said an anonymous White House source. “He very much admires some of Kim Jong-un’s qualities and leadership tactics, some of which he thinks came straight out of ‘The Art of the Deal.’”

While many may be shocked at a friendship between the two supposedly bitter enemies, in many ways the bromance between Kim Jong-un and Donald Trump is not surprising at all. After all, Trump and Kim share many of the same qualities and characteristics.

Both spew inflammatory rhetoric, which has become abundantly clear in the past few weeks. Nuclear threats have flown back-and-forth from both sides along with very personal, childish insults. Recently, Trump began referring to Kim as the “rocket man,” which Kim responded to by calling Trump “deranged.”

Both leaders also have fairly large egos. Both Kim and Trump’s narcissistic tendencies have been well-documented. Kim’s government revolves almost solely around him. Several murals of Kim rest on large walls throughout Pyongyang, the capital city of North Korea. While democracy remains the norm here in the United States, Trump often finds a way to make things about himself.

On the surface, a friendship seems almost too perfect. So then, why have the two expressed nothing but bitter hatred towards one another? CNN’s Don Lemon may have hit the nail right on the head.

“The two leaders likely ceded taking turns insulting and threatening the other to appear ‘macho,’ in an effort to boost their ego and change public opinion,” said Lemon. “Trump especially values ratings and favorability numbers. An easy way to boost these numbers is to appear strong, tough, and resilient, which are three qualities that helped get him elected.”

During the campaign, Trump tossed around the idea of a diplomatic approach to solve the North Korea issue. He even suggested possibly meeting with Kim faceto-face, which now takes on new significance in light of recent reports.

In fact, The Warrior has recently uncovered photographs depicting a secret meeting between Trump and Kim on the coast of North Korea.

So what does this development spell for the tensions between the United States and North Korea? The two countries appeared to be on the brink of war, but now it’s unclear if tensions exist at all.

Rather than nuclear warheads, it seems an unexpected friendship between the “rocket man” and the “dotard” is on the horizon. Buckle up world.