‘This Week’ Transcript: Dennis Rodman on His Trip to North Korea
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‘This Week’ Transcript: Dennis Rodman on His Trip to North Korea Lyrics
STEPHANOPOULOS: And we are back now with "THIS WEEK's" weirdest encounter. Top of the news in North Korea, the first American to meet Kim Jong-un, not John Kerry or even Jimmy Carter, nope, it was Dennis Rodman, AKA "The Worm."
They watch basketball. Kim is a big fan, but that was just the beginning. Some ice skating too, an aquarium visit, then a long dinner and lots of drinks with one of the world's most mysterious and dangerous men.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DENNIS RODMAN, FORMER BASKETBALL PLAYER: I love him. The guy is awesome. He was so honest.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
STEPHANOPOULOS: That about a dictator who presides over prison camps, allows millions to starve, and has threatened to destroy the United States. Amazingly, Rodman now has more firsthand impressions of Kim than any other American.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
COL. STEPHEN GANYARD, FORMER ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF STATE: There is nobody at the CIA who could tell you more personally about Kim Jong-un than Dennis Rodman, and that in itself is scary.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
STEPHANOPOULOS: And Dennis Rodman joins us right now.
(LAUGHTER)
STEPHANOPOULOS: I guess you don't find it scary.
RODMAN: No, it's not scary. It's amazingly, man, wild, man. You know what, it was such a great experience. Me and my -- (INAUDIBLE) son, (INAUDIBLE), we went there, man, and it wasn't supposed to be like that. It was supposed to be like, just meet the guy and just have a good time.
They watch basketball. Kim is a big fan, but that was just the beginning. Some ice skating too, an aquarium visit, then a long dinner and lots of drinks with one of the world's most mysterious and dangerous men.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DENNIS RODMAN, FORMER BASKETBALL PLAYER: I love him. The guy is awesome. He was so honest.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
STEPHANOPOULOS: That about a dictator who presides over prison camps, allows millions to starve, and has threatened to destroy the United States. Amazingly, Rodman now has more firsthand impressions of Kim than any other American.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
COL. STEPHEN GANYARD, FORMER ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF STATE: There is nobody at the CIA who could tell you more personally about Kim Jong-un than Dennis Rodman, and that in itself is scary.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
STEPHANOPOULOS: And Dennis Rodman joins us right now.
(LAUGHTER)
STEPHANOPOULOS: I guess you don't find it scary.
RODMAN: No, it's not scary. It's amazingly, man, wild, man. You know what, it was such a great experience. Me and my -- (INAUDIBLE) son, (INAUDIBLE), we went there, man, and it wasn't supposed to be like that. It was supposed to be like, just meet the guy and just have a good time.
STEPHANOPOULOS: And it turned into such an event. And I have to ask you first, when you said you love Kim and think he's awesome, were you aware of his threats to destroy the United States and his regime's horrendous record on human rights?
RODMAN: One thing about that, you know what? I didn't look at all that right there. I understand what he's doing. I don't condone that. I hate the fact that he's doing that but the fact is that, you know what, that's a human being, though. He let his guards, he did one day to me, made a friend. I didn't talk about that. I understand now. I understand that.
(CROSSTALK)
STEPHANOPOULOS: But do you think you have a responsibility to ask him about it so that you don't be perceived as sort of propping up his regime, his cult of personality?
RODMAN: This is what I think, when you grow up in that -- an environment, especially when your grandpa and your father -- now, one thing, the kid is only 28 years old.
STEPHANOPOULOS: You called them great leaders. Do you really believe that?
RODMAN: What I saw in that country, I saw in that country and I saw people respect him and his family and that's what I mean about that.
(CROSSTALK)
STEPHANOPOULOS: Aren't they forced to?
RODMAN: Huh?
STEPHANOPOULOS: Aren't they forced to?
RODMAN: Well, I say no because I think he's -- (INAUDIBLE) something because this is a different view because I sat with him for two days. And one thing he asked me to give Obama something to say and do one thing. He wants Obama to do one thing, call him.
STEPHANOPOULOS: He wants a call from President Obama?
RODMAN: One thing about that, you know what? I didn't look at all that right there. I understand what he's doing. I don't condone that. I hate the fact that he's doing that but the fact is that, you know what, that's a human being, though. He let his guards, he did one day to me, made a friend. I didn't talk about that. I understand now. I understand that.
(CROSSTALK)
STEPHANOPOULOS: But do you think you have a responsibility to ask him about it so that you don't be perceived as sort of propping up his regime, his cult of personality?
RODMAN: This is what I think, when you grow up in that -- an environment, especially when your grandpa and your father -- now, one thing, the kid is only 28 years old.
STEPHANOPOULOS: You called them great leaders. Do you really believe that?
RODMAN: What I saw in that country, I saw in that country and I saw people respect him and his family and that's what I mean about that.
(CROSSTALK)
STEPHANOPOULOS: Aren't they forced to?
RODMAN: Huh?
STEPHANOPOULOS: Aren't they forced to?
RODMAN: Well, I say no because I think he's -- (INAUDIBLE) something because this is a different view because I sat with him for two days. And one thing he asked me to give Obama something to say and do one thing. He wants Obama to do one thing, call him.
STEPHANOPOULOS: He wants a call from President Obama?
RODMAN: That's right. He told me that. He said, if you can, Dennis, I don't want to do war. I don't want to do war. He said that to me.
STEPHANOPOULOS: Did you say, why don't you pick up the phone and call President Obama?
RODMAN: No, you know, it's a different story. It's a different story because, guess what, the kid is only 28 years old, 28. He's not his dad. Not his grandpa. He's 28 years old.
STEPHANOPOULOS: So you think he's different. What did he tell you about America and what did you learn about him?
RODMAN: Guess what, the one thing I said to him, I said, we talked about -- if you see the clips or whatever, he loves basketball. And I said, Obama loves basketball, let's start there, all right? Start there. If you see the quotes in the papers, he says that. He says that about sports. Both of you guys love basketball so much.
STEPHANOPOULOS: But that's one tiny bit of common ground. Did you get any sense from him that he was looking to change the relationship with the United States?
RODMAN: Well, one thing about him -- one thing I noticed about him, he's very humble. He's very humble, man. As a kid he's very humble. He's very -- he's very strong as a man, he's very strong. But guess what, he don't want war. That's one thing he don't want.
STEPHANOPOULOS: He said in the past that he would destroy the United States.
RODMAN: Well, I just think that's coming from his father. I think as a young man, I mean, he don't want anything…
STEPHANOPOULOS: What else does he know about the United States and President Obama from what you could tell?
RODMAN: I can tell by him, he does one thing, he loves -- he loves power. He loves control. Because others, you know, dad and stuff like that, but he just -- he's a great guy. He's just a great guy. If you sit down and talk to him, you know, perception is perceiving how things work.
STEPHANOPOULOS: A great guy who puts 200,000 people in prison camps?
RODMAN: Well, you know, guess what, it's amazing how we do the same thing here.
STEPHANOPOULOS: Did you say, why don't you pick up the phone and call President Obama?
RODMAN: No, you know, it's a different story. It's a different story because, guess what, the kid is only 28 years old, 28. He's not his dad. Not his grandpa. He's 28 years old.
STEPHANOPOULOS: So you think he's different. What did he tell you about America and what did you learn about him?
RODMAN: Guess what, the one thing I said to him, I said, we talked about -- if you see the clips or whatever, he loves basketball. And I said, Obama loves basketball, let's start there, all right? Start there. If you see the quotes in the papers, he says that. He says that about sports. Both of you guys love basketball so much.
STEPHANOPOULOS: But that's one tiny bit of common ground. Did you get any sense from him that he was looking to change the relationship with the United States?
RODMAN: Well, one thing about him -- one thing I noticed about him, he's very humble. He's very humble, man. As a kid he's very humble. He's very -- he's very strong as a man, he's very strong. But guess what, he don't want war. That's one thing he don't want.
STEPHANOPOULOS: He said in the past that he would destroy the United States.
RODMAN: Well, I just think that's coming from his father. I think as a young man, I mean, he don't want anything…
STEPHANOPOULOS: What else does he know about the United States and President Obama from what you could tell?
RODMAN: I can tell by him, he does one thing, he loves -- he loves power. He loves control. Because others, you know, dad and stuff like that, but he just -- he's a great guy. He's just a great guy. If you sit down and talk to him, you know, perception is perceiving how things work.
STEPHANOPOULOS: A great guy who puts 200,000 people in prison camps?
RODMAN: Well, you know, guess what, it's amazing how we do the same thing here.
STEPHANOPOULOS: We have prison camps here in the United States?
RODMAN: We don't have prison camps, guess what, this is all politics, right? This is all politics, right? And the one thing, he don't want to do that. He don't want to do that. But you know what, it's more like it -- I'm not like a diplomat, I don't want to do that…
STEPHANOPOULOS: But it sounds like you're apologizing for him.
RODMAN: No, I'm not apologizing for him. I think the fact that, you know, he's a good guy to me. Guess what, he's my friend. Guess what, I don't condone what he does, but as far as a person to person, he's my friend. But as far as what he does, you deal with it.
STEPHANOPOULOS: Someone who hypothetically is a murderer who is your friend is still a murderer.
RODMAN: Well, you know what, seriously, you know what, guess what, guess what, what I did, what I did was history, was history and guess what, it's just like we do over here in America, right?
It's amazing that we have presidents over here do the same thing, right? It's amazing that Bill Clinton could do one thing and have sex with his secretary and do one thing and really get away with it and still be powerful, not...
(CROSSTALK)
STEPHANOPOULOS: How can you compare that to prison camps?
RODMAN: No, prison camp is one thing. We don't need to do one thing, object that. We don't to do it, object that. But guess what, we do one thing, like a friend to friend, right? It's a friend to friend. He's a friend to me. That's about it.
STEPHANOPOULOS: So you're going to go back?
RODMAN: Yes, I am. I'm going to go back and do one thing and find out more what's really going on. Find out more.
STEPHANOPOULOS: OK. Next time you go back you should bring this report from Human Rights Watch with you and maybe ask him questions about that as well. You might learn a lot more and it might press him as well.
But thank you for coming on this morning and sharing your impressions.
RODMAN: But either way, either way, guess what though, guess what, (INAUDIBLE) report.
STEPHANOPOULOS: OK.
RODMAN: Guess what, guess what, don't hate me, don't hate me, guess what, don't hate me, guess what, don't hate me.
RODMAN: We don't have prison camps, guess what, this is all politics, right? This is all politics, right? And the one thing, he don't want to do that. He don't want to do that. But you know what, it's more like it -- I'm not like a diplomat, I don't want to do that…
STEPHANOPOULOS: But it sounds like you're apologizing for him.
RODMAN: No, I'm not apologizing for him. I think the fact that, you know, he's a good guy to me. Guess what, he's my friend. Guess what, I don't condone what he does, but as far as a person to person, he's my friend. But as far as what he does, you deal with it.
STEPHANOPOULOS: Someone who hypothetically is a murderer who is your friend is still a murderer.
RODMAN: Well, you know what, seriously, you know what, guess what, guess what, what I did, what I did was history, was history and guess what, it's just like we do over here in America, right?
It's amazing that we have presidents over here do the same thing, right? It's amazing that Bill Clinton could do one thing and have sex with his secretary and do one thing and really get away with it and still be powerful, not...
(CROSSTALK)
STEPHANOPOULOS: How can you compare that to prison camps?
RODMAN: No, prison camp is one thing. We don't need to do one thing, object that. We don't to do it, object that. But guess what, we do one thing, like a friend to friend, right? It's a friend to friend. He's a friend to me. That's about it.
STEPHANOPOULOS: So you're going to go back?
RODMAN: Yes, I am. I'm going to go back and do one thing and find out more what's really going on. Find out more.
STEPHANOPOULOS: OK. Next time you go back you should bring this report from Human Rights Watch with you and maybe ask him questions about that as well. You might learn a lot more and it might press him as well.
But thank you for coming on this morning and sharing your impressions.
RODMAN: But either way, either way, guess what though, guess what, (INAUDIBLE) report.
STEPHANOPOULOS: OK.
RODMAN: Guess what, guess what, don't hate me, don't hate me, guess what, don't hate me, guess what, don't hate me.
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