Trump’s remarks to reporters on the South Lawn of the White House represented a fresh attempt by the president to cozy up to the North Korean leader, a policy that has drawn criticism for seeming to overlook Kim’s autocratic rule.

Trump spoke a day after the Wall Street Journal reported that Kim’s slain half-brother, Kim Jong Nam, was a source for the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency. Kim Jong Nam was killed at the airport in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in 2017.

“I saw the information about the CIA, with respect to his brother, or half-brother. And I would tell him that would not happen under my auspices, that’s for sure. I wouldn’t let that happen under my auspices,” Trump said.

Today NBC’s Kristen Welker asked Trump, “Mr. President, you seemed to suggest yesterday that you were essentially committing to not spying on North Korea. Is that what you meant, were those comments interpreted accurately?”

“No, it’s not what I meant,” Trump said. “It’s––what I said, and that’s, I think it’s different than maybe your interpretation, I think we’re going to do very well with North Korea over a period of time. I’m in no rush. The sanctions are on. We got our hostages back. Our remains are coming back. You saw the beautiful ceremony in Hawaii with Mike Pence. We’re getting the remains back. There’s been no nuclear testing whatsoever. They would like to do something. I did get, you know, as I said yesterday, a very nice letter from Chairman Kim.”

Asked by ABC News Chief Anchor George Stephanopoulos in the Oval Office on Wednesday whether his campaign would accept such information from foreigners -- such as China or Russia -- or hand it over the FBI, Trump said, "I think maybe you do both."

"I think you might want to listen, there isn't anything wrong with listening," Trump continued. "If somebody called from a country, Norway, [and said] ‘we have information on your opponent' -- oh, I think I'd want to hear it." (snip)

"It's not an interference, they have information -- I think I'd take it," Trump said. "If I thought there was something wrong, I'd go maybe to the FBI -- if I thought there was something wrong. But when somebody comes up with oppo research, right, they come up with oppo research, 'oh let's call the FBI.' The FBI doesn't have enough agents to take care of it. When you go and talk, honestly, to congressman, they all do it, they always have, and that's the way it is. It's called oppo research.