Praises Kim Jong Un as 'very talented' and returns North Korean general's salute

At a June 12, 2018 press conference following his Singapore summit with Kim Jong Un, Trump called the North Korean leader "very talented," said of Kim's consolidation of power at age 26 that "he ran it, and run it tough," and added Kim is "very smart" and "a very good negotiator" who "understands" denuclearization "better than the people that are doing the work for him." During introductions with the North Korean delegation, a North Korean general offered a salute instead of a handshake and Trump returned it; retired Army Major General Paul Eaton called the gesture "wholly inappropriate," and Senator Martin Heinrich said saluting "the military leader of an adversarial regime is disrespectful to our troops and their service." Trump minimized the exchange, saying "I met a general. He saluted me and I saluted him back," while then-press secretary Sarah Sanders described it as "a common courtesy."

“Well, he is very talented.” Quote verified against source