Dennis Rodman is an emotional person.

From Singapore Tuesday morning, the power forward appeared on CNN to talk about the groundbreaking peace summit which was underway.

Chris Cuomo asked the NBA Hall of Famer to assess the two leaders going head to head in a game-changing peace assembly:

“Now you know both men. You’ve spent time with the North Korean leader; you’ve spent time with Donald Trump. How do you think the two men size up, in terms of how they might get along?”

Dennis answered with a story.

“Well, I think…Donald Trump would understand the fact that…the people of North Korea have a heart, have soul, charisma and they love each other. And I think the fact that Kim Jong-un and his family understands that. And I think that President Trump should understand the fact that, the reason why the Marshal of North Korea respects Dennis Rodman is he trusts me. And I gave him something for his birthday. And I thought I couldn’t pull this off…”

Rodman — donning a MAGA hat — explained that he once promised Kim he would bring a professional basketball team to North Korea, which he wasn’t entirely sure he could do. When he kept his word, Kim said no one had ever done that before:

“It happened, and Kim…came to me and said, ‘Dennis you know what? This is the first time someone’s ever, ever kept their word to me and my country.’ … He’s not normally hearing someone that’s trustworthy. And I think that country is normally hearing people that’s always lying, deceitful, and not trustworthy. I think that if Trump goes in there with a great heart, with his heart on the table, and lets Kim Jong-un see him, really emotional, as far as like speaking to him, it ain’t got to be about war. … [Kim] is trying to progress his country, and Donald Trump is going to do a great job…to reach out and make sure that our hands are always open.”

Trump isn’t the leader Rodman expected to be face to face with Kim. Five years ago, the Supreme Leader asked Dennis a favor at lunch:

“‘I’d like to ask you three things, if you’d go back to tell the President of the United States these three things.’ … He said things like, ‘If they can move the ships back from South Korea, I would do what I have to do to listen. … My ears will be open.’ And I tried to do that to Obama, and Obama didn’t even give me the time of day. I asked him — I said, ‘I have something to say from North Korea.’ He just brushed me off. But that didn’t deter me. I still kept going back, I kept going back, I kept going back. I showed my loyalty and my [trustworthiness] to this country. And I said to everybody — I said, ‘The door will open.”’

Rodman began to cry.

“It’s amazing — it’s amazing! When I said those things, when I said those things, when I said those damn things. … When I went back home, I got so many death threats…I got so many death threats. … And I believed in North Korea. And when I went home, I couldn’t even go home, I couldn’t even go home. I had to hide out for thirty days. I couldn’t even go home. But I kept my head up high, brother. I knew things were gonna change. I knew it. I was the only one. I never had no one to hear me, I never had no one to see me. But I took those bullets, I took all that, I took everything. Everyone came at me, and I’m still standing. And today is a great day for everybody – Singapore, Tokyo, China, everything. It’s a great day. I’m here to see it. I’m so happy.”

Tears streamed.

As for the subject of Rodman’s peace-on-earth mission, Cuomo asked, “You chose North Korea. Why?”

“Well, I was very naive when I went over there. … I thought…I was just doing some charity event. … But it turned out to be so much…bigger than I thought. … I just fell in love with the country from day one. And…I felt like…’I guess I owe it to myself and the people around the world.’ … This is not about Dennis Rodman being the greatest person in the world to lead these two people together. I just wanted to see it get done so we all can live good together. No hatred. No more hatred.”

it easy to make fun of rodman (I've done it multiple times). but you cannot doubt his sincerity. dude is crying and it's not an act

— GregGutfeld (@greggutfeld) June 12, 2018

I have to hand it to Rodman — he’s right. People have condemned him for spending time with a murderous dictator, and there is certainly validity to that criticism; he’s also been the butt of many, many jokes, in many, many articles — maybe even mine (I can’t remember). But now, as far as efforts toward world peace are concerned, the joke’s on his detractors. The June 12th summit may not be the most incredible international event of the century, but it is undeniably a substantial step in the right direction. At the end of the day, Dennis Rodman — a man who, to his credit, stands up for what he believes — may be owed some gratitude for providing a bit of conduit to make it happen. In this one regard, we could use more rugged individuals like Rodman who, from the intention of a good heart, try to make the world a better place. “Blessed are the peacemakers.” It’s one of the ways — like the NBA star’s hat says — we Make America Great Again.