White House press secretary Sean Spicer on Monday sought to explain President Trump’s claim amid tensions over the North Korean nuclear program that he would be “honored” to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, noting that Kim "is still the head of state.”

"He is still the head of state,” he told reporters. “So there is a diplomatic piece to this.”

At the same time, Spicer said Trump “recognizes the threat that he poses.”

Trump said in a Monday interview with Bloomberg News that he is open to talking to Kim despite Pyongyang's nuclear capabilities. The president has condemned North Korea’s recent nuclear and ballistic missile tests.

ADVERTISEMENT

“If it would be appropriate for me to meet with him, I would absolutely, I would be honored to do it,” Trump said during the Monday interview. “If it’s under the, again, under the right circumstances. But I would do that.”

“Most political people would never say that,” he added about meeting with Kim. “But I’m telling you under the right circumstances I would meet with him. We have breaking news.”

At Monday’s briefing, Spicer said that a lot would need to change in North Korea's behavior before Trump would agree to meet with Kim, adding that the White House has yet to see any changes.

“There are a lot of conditions that would have to happen with respect to its behavior and to show signs of good faith,” Spicer said.

“Clearly the conditions are not there now, but I think the president has made it clear that if the circumstances present themselves, we’d be prepared to but they’re clearly not at this time.”