"Well Kim Jong Un made a statement that Joe Biden is a low IQ individual. He probably is, based on his record. I think I agree with him on that," Trump told a news conference in Tokyo.

 

The comments reinforced a tweet that Trump sent on Saturday with a similar message.

 

North Korea's state-run news agency issued a stinging attack last week on Biden, who has been critical of the isolated state.

 

Trump has targeted Biden with increasing criticism as the former vice president rises in polls for the Democratic presidential nomination to challenge Trump in 2020.

 

The president often derides his political opponents, but his tweet on Sunday and his comments on Monday were notable for the fact that he issued them while abroad and aligned himself with Kim, considered a brutal dictator by many.

 

Trump has sought to build a strong relationship with the North Korean leader in the hopes of reaching an eventual peace deal.

 

Trump also knocked Biden and former President Barack Obama on Monday for their efforts to prevent Iran from getting a nuclear weapon. Trump pulled the United States out of a nuclear deal Iran sealed with Washington and other foreign powers.

 

"Joe Biden was a disaster, his administration with President Obama, they were basically a disaster when it came to so many things, whether it was economy, whether it was military ... no matter what it was, they had a lot of problems," Trump said when asked about criticism that he was favoring Kim over the former vice president.