Trump later gifted a cassette of the song to Kim and played it for him, he told an audience gathered in Sunrise, Florida, in 2021.

Kim had lobbed insults back in Trump's direction, calling him 'a frightened dog' and a 'dotard.' Trump shot back with warnings during his presidency that continued threats against the US would be 'met with fire and fury like the world has never seen' and that his 'nuclear button' is 'much bigger & more powerful' than that of the North Korean leader.īut the two men also displayed a public show of affection.

Trump first referred publicly to Kim as 'Little Rocket Man' on Twitter in 2017 and repeated it at a UN General Assembly speech and throughout his presidency. Jeb Bush of Florida 'Low Energy Jeb,' and Hillary Clinton 'Crooked Hillary.' Ted Cruz of Texas 'Lyin' Ted,' former GOP Gov. 'Little,' not OK.'ĭuring his 2016 race for the White House, Trump gave many of his opponents catchy nicknames. Kim and others at the lunch laughed, and Kim said, ''Rocket man,' OK. 'Trump said it was a great song, and he intended the reference as a compliment,' Pompeo wrote. When Kim said no, Trump explained that the British singer's 1972 hit song 'Rocket Man' inspired him to give Kim the nickname in 2017. Trump started by asking Kim over a meal at the Singapore summit on June 12, 2018, whether he knew who Elton John was, according to the book 'Never Give an Inch: Fighting for the America I Love,' by former US secretary of state and CIA director Mike Pompeo that's coming out Tuesday, Business Insider reported.

Little rocket man game