Dennis Rodman makes another trip to Pyongyang

Former NBA bad boy Dennis Rodman is back in North Korea, a trip analysts dismiss as just another publicity stunt despite Rodman’s connection to President Donald Trump. Rodman once appeared on Trump’s reality television show, The Apprentice, and endorsed him for president. When asked whether he had spoken to Trump about his trip, Rodman said he felt “pretty sure he’s pretty much happy with the fact that I’m over here trying to accomplish something that we both need.” A senior state department official said Rodman was making the trip as a private citizen and noted the U.S. government has advised Americans to avoid North Korea for their own safety. This is Rodman’s fifth visit to Pyongyang and comes amid heightened tensions between the two countries. North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un has aggressively pursued a bid to perfect long-range missiles capable of propelling a nuclear warhead to the U.S. mainland. Despite his lack of seriousness, Rodman is in a unique position as one of the few people to know both Kim and Trump personally.

We Sift the news so you don’t have to.