Trump brands Kim Jong-un a ‘madman with nuclear weapons’ in call with Duterte

US PRESIDENT Donald J. Trump called North Korean leader Kim Jong-un a “madman with nuclear weapons” during a telephone call with Philippine President Rodrigo R. Duterte, according to a transcript of the conversation released by US media Tuesday.

A White House readout of the April 29 call described it as a “very friendly conversation.” Days after the conversation, Mr. Trump said publicly that he would be “honored” to meet with Kim.

But in the call, Trump hinted at a possible dramatic escalation on the Korean Peninsula.

“We can’t let a madman with nuclear weapons let on the loose like that. We have a lot of firepower, more than he has, times 20 — but we don’t want to use it,” the US leader said, citing “two nuclear submarines” the Pentagon sent to the area last month. — Read the full story by scanning the QR code with your smartphone or by typing the link <https://goo.gl/cmVejp>