WASHINGTON — Dennis Rodman may be stepping back into the political spotlight.
The Basketball Hall of Famer and WWE Hall of Famer is expected to join President Trump on a midterm campaign trip to the former NBA star’s college town later this week, as Trump weighs renewed engagement with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
Rodman, who visited North Korea at least five times from 2013 to 2017, is scheduled to appear at a campaign event in Durant, Okla., where he attended Southeastern Oklahoma State University in the mid-1980s, according to sources.
“After the midterms, Trump wants to refocus again on North Korea and start talking about Kim Jong Un,” a source close to Rodman and familiar with White House travel plans told The Post.
“Dennis believes he’s the ambassador of goodwill between North Korea and the United States. As Trump ponders what to do next, he’s been soliciting ideas, and one of the key people he’s talking to is Dennis.”
The White House and Rodman’s representatives did not respond to The Post’s requests for comment.
Trump’s campaign schedule is subject to last-minute changes, and it remains unclear whether Rodman would appear onstage with the president in Oklahoma.
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A five-time NBA champion with the Detroit Pistons and Chicago Bulls, Rodman is widely regarded as one of basketball’s greatest rebounders. His career, however, has often been eclipsed by his controversial off-court behavior.
Before taking on the role of unconventional diplomat, Rodman famously wore a wedding dress while promoting his 1996 autobiography, “Bad As I Wanna Be.” He was also suspended for 11 games after kicking a courtside photographer.
Kim Jong Un, believed to be in his early 40s, is known as a devoted basketball fan. He reportedly followed the Chicago Bulls dynasty while attending boarding school in Switzerland, and Rodman has called the North Korean leader a “friend for life.”
The former power forward also has a long-standing connection to Trump, beginning with Rodman’s appearance on the second season of “The Celebrity Apprentice” in 2009.
Trump told reporters last month that “I will be” meeting with Kim later this year. Pyongyang, however, has shown little enthusiasm for the prospect and warned that efforts to persuade North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons would be futile.
The president is expected to travel to China and possibly the Philippines in mid-November for the annual Association of Southeast Asian Nations and Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation conferences. The trip has fueled speculation that Trump could make a stop to meet Kim.
The eccentric, 6-foot-7 former star formed his unlikely friendship with Kim during his first visit to the “Hermit Kingdom” in 2013, when he took part in a “basketball democracy tour” organized by Vice magazine. The Post previously reported that Rodman would be in Singapore for Trump’s first summit with the North Korean leader.
Trump and Kim met three times during the president’s first term, including their 2018 summit in Singapore and a 2019 meeting in Vietnam. They also held a handshake meeting at the demilitarized zone separating North and South Korea. The two leaders have not met since Trump returned to office last year.
