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North Korean leader Kim Jong Un attends the combined fire demonstration of the services of the Korean People's Army in celebration of its 85th founding anniversary in a photo released on April 26. KCNA via KNS /AFP/Getty Images hide caption

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un attends the combined fire demonstration of the services of the Korean People's Army in celebration of its 85th founding anniversary in a photo released on April 26.

President Trump just seems to have a thing for strongmen.

He invited the brutal Philippine leader, Rodrigo Duterte, to the White House during a "very friendly" phone call Sunday. On Tuesday, Trump has another call this one with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Trump's invitation came despite Duterte's violent crackdown on drugs, that has left more than 7,000 of his countrymen dead since he took power less than a year ago. The White House defended Trump's decision, saying the Philippines is a key partner in dealing with North Korea, but experts say that's a stretch.

The United States and Western allies have long turned a blind eye to totalitarian regimes guilty of a long list of human-rights violations. Often, it was in the name of stability and at the expense of people suffering in those countries. But American leaders have mostly been mindful to choose their words carefully to maintain some semblance of a moral higher ground. What Trump is doing is different past American leaders would almost never express admiration for bad actors. Trump, in many cases, has been doing exactly that.

Duterte is hardly the only autocrat Trump has had kind words for. From Saddam Hussein's efficient killing of terrorists to the "smart cookie" in North Korea, Trump has praised strongmen around the world when others wouldn't. The following list reads like a who's who of totalitarian leaders with dicey human-rights records. And in all of the countries, the American president and real-estate magnate has a raft of potential conflicts of interest, too:

Nickname: "The Punisher" a.k.a. "Duterte Harry"

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte speaks during the ASEAN Leaders' Summit in Manila, Philippines, last month. Bullit Marquez/AP hide caption

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte speaks during the ASEAN Leaders' Summit in Manila, Philippines, last month.

What he's accused of: More than 7,000 Filipinos killed under his rule in his anti-drug crusade. In a warped comparison, he praised Hitler this way: "Hitler massacred three million Jews. Now, there is three million drug addicts. I'd be happy to slaughter them." He added that he wants to "finish the problem of my country and save the next generation." (Fact check: it was six million European Jews who were killed in the Holocaust.) ... He has undermined the judiciary ... Called experts "stupid" ... Threatened to "whack" mayors who stood in the way of his tactics ... Upset about traffic, he called the Pope a "son of a whore" ... "Joked" about a woman who was raped. ...

Justified the killing of journalists. "Just because you're a journalist," he said, "you are not exempted from assassination, if you're a son of a bitch." The Philippines is one of the most dangerous countries in the world for journalists to work 78 journalists have been killed there since 1992, the third most of any country behind Iraq and Syria. (Somalia is behind the Philippines at No. 4.) Though Duterte's praised Trump, he's also said: "He is a bigot and I am not."

Quotable: "Forget the laws on human rights. If I make it to the presidential palace, I will do just what I did as mayor. You drug pushers, hold-up men and do-nothings, you better go out. Because I'd kill you. I'll dump all of you into Manila Bay, and fatten all the fish there."

What Trump has said about him (emphasis ours): The White House issued a readout of their phone call from April 29:

"It was a very friendly conversation, in which the two leaders discussed the concerns of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) regarding regional security, including the threat posed by North Korea. They also discussed the fact that the Philippine government is fighting very hard to rid its country of drugs, a scourge that affects many countries throughout the world. President Trump enjoyed the conversation and said that he is looking forward to visiting the Philippines in November to participate in the East Asia Summit and the U.S.-ASEAN Summit. President Trump also invited President Duterte to the White House to discuss the importance of the United States-Philippines alliance, which is now heading in a very positive direction."

Duterte now might not even come. "I am tied up," Duterte said Monday. "I cannot make any definite promise. I am supposed to go to Russia, I am supposed to go to Israel."

Potential Trump conflict: His name is on a 57-story, $150 million building in Manila. Duterte named the head of the corporation that developed it as an envoy to the United States.

A high-rise building under construction in 2012 in Manila, Philippines bearing Trump's name. Jay Directo/AFP/Getty Images hide caption

A high-rise building under construction in 2012 in Manila, Philippines bearing Trump's name.

Nickname: "Pale Mouth" a.k.a. "Botox" a.k.a. "Pootie-Poot"

Russian President Vladimir Putin looks on during a meeting with Director of the General Office of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China Li Zhanshu in the Kremlin last month. Alexei Druzhinin/AP hide caption

Russian President Vladimir Putin looks on during a meeting with Director of the General Office of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China Li Zhanshu in the Kremlin last month.

What he's accused of: Invaded a sovereign country (Ukraine) and annexed part of it (Crimea). ... Aiding Syrian President Bashar Assad militarily. Assad is accused by the West of using chemical weapons against his own people. ... Meddled in elections, including in the U.S. ... Allowed hackings of Western bank accounts without prosecution ... Some 100 men suspected of being gay have been swept up in Chechnya, including three who were killed last month. ... People with disabilities face discrimination, including not studying in mainstream schools ...

Cracked down on freedom of information, including shutting down websites ... Persecuted critics, political opponents and journalists who have been jailed and killed. (It's the seventh-most dangerous country for journalists to work in.) ... Some human-rights NGOs have been labeled "foreign agents" and "undesirable foreign organizations." They've been banned and a new law means they could face up to six years in prison. ... Russian Olympians have been accused of doping through a government program. ... Russia won the rights to host the 2018 soccer World Cup, but there are questions as to how. Former FIFA head Sepp Blatter was ousted in 2015 and banned for eight years after soccer's world governing body was found to be rife with corruption and kickbacks. Still, Putin said Blatter "deserves a Nobel Peace Prize."

Quotable: "Hitler also failed when, with his hateful ideas, he was going to destroy Russia, throw us back behind the Urals. Everyone should remember how it ended."

What Trump has said about him: "If he says great things about me, I'm going to say great things about him. I've already said, he is really very much of a leader. I mean, you can say, oh, isn't that a terrible thing the man has very strong control over a country. Now, it's a very different system, and I don't happen to like the system. But certainly, in that system, he's been a leader, far more than our president has been a leader. ... he does have an 82 percent approval rating, according to the different pollsters...." (Sept. 7, 2016, NBC Commander-in-Chief Forum)

Potential Trump conflict: Trump put on the Miss Universe pageant in Moscow and has tried for a long time to gain a foothold in the Russian market. In 2008, Donald Trump Jr. said: "Russians make up a pretty disproportionate cross-section of a lot of our assets. We see a lot of money pouring in from Russia." (The Washington Post and Time have more on Trump's Russia connections.)

Nickname: "Xi Dada" a.k.a. "Xi Big Big" a.k.a "Big Daddy Xi"

President Trump leads Chinese President Xi Jinping on a walk together after meetings in Palm Beach, Fla. Alex Brandon/AP hide caption

President Trump leads Chinese President Xi Jinping on a walk together after meetings in Palm Beach, Fla.

What he's accused of: Extra-judicial detention, where detainees are tortured and mistreated, including as a tactic against political opponents and activists ... Leading the world in executions ... "Enforced disappearance of critics" ... Using strong-arm tactics to maintain Communist Party power. For example, launching an "anti-corruption campaign" against political opponents and shutting down groups seen as a threat even ones as seemingly benign as advocating for women's legal counsel against domestic abuse. ...

Identified as "the world's worst jailer of journalists" in 2014 and 2015. China was holding 49 journalists in 2015; that number was down to 38 last year and eclipsed only by Turkey (81), as Erdogan moved to consolidate power and repress opposition. China is ranked near the bottom (176 out of 180) in the World Press Freedom Index, beat out only by Syria, Turkmenistan, Eritrea and North Korea. ... Clamping down on access to the Internet and censoring it. Google left the country last year despite the huge potential market because of it ... Lack of religious freedom. Uighur Muslims, for example, are labeled extremists and terrorists; families of Tibetan self-immolators have been punished; 1,500 crosses have been torn down from church steeples; a small Chinese Jewish community has been harassed and prevented from worshiping together. China only has five "licensed" religions: Buddhism, Catholicism, Islam, Protestantism and Taoism.

Quotable: "There are a few foreigners, with full bellies, who have nothing better to do than try to point fingers at our country. China does not export revolution, hunger, poverty nor does China cause you any headaches. Just what else do you want?"

What Trump has said about him: "He certainly doesn't want to see turmoil and death. He doesn't want to see it. He is a good man. He is a very good man and I got to know him very well." (April 28, Reuters interview)

Potential Trump conflict: Trump has strong business ties to China. He has tried to get into the Chinese market since 2008. He signed onto two multi-million-dollar deals that fell apart, including one with State Grid, the state-owned power company. In October, the Trump Organization announced new plans for 20 to 30 new hotels in cities all over China. Industrial & Commercial Bank of China Ltd. is a tenant in Trump Tower. Bank of China, also state-owned, is a debt holder for at least part of a $950 million loan for a building in New York in which Trump is part-owner.

Trump and his daughter Ivanka were granted hard-to-come-by trademarks in China earlier this year. Ivanka's husband, Jared Kushner, a key (maybe top) adviser to the president owns a skyscraper in New York and was set to get a $400 million investment from a Chinese firm in the tower. But that deal was killed because of conflict-of-interest concerns.

A State Grid Corporation construction site. The electrical company is China's largest state-owned enterprise. Trump pursued a lucrative deal with the company headed by a top Communist official. Fred Dufour/AFP/Getty Images hide caption

A State Grid Corporation construction site. The electrical company is China's largest state-owned enterprise. Trump pursued a lucrative deal with the company headed by a top Communist official.

Nickname: "The Young General" a.k.a. "Fatty Kim the Third" a.k.a. "Kim Fatty III" a.k.a. "Kim the Fat"

North Korea's Kim Jong-Un waves from a balcony toward participants of a mass military parade in 2015 in Pyongyang, North Korea. Liu Xingzhe/VCG via Getty Images hide caption

North Korea's Kim Jong-Un waves from a balcony toward participants of a mass military parade in 2015 in Pyongyang, North Korea.

What he's accused of: Human Rights Watch notes: "A 2014 UN Commission of Inquiry found that abuses in North Korea were without parallel in the contemporary world. They include extermination, murder, enslavement, torture, imprisonment, rape, forced abortions, and other sexual violence. North Korea operates secretive prison camps where perceived opponents of the government are sent to face torture and abuse, starvation rations, and forced labor. Fear of collective punishment is used to silence dissent. There is no independent media, functioning civil society, or religious freedom." ...

It is ranked at the bottom of the World Press Freedom Index. ... Kim has worked with China to crack down on border crossings to prevent escapees. In some cases, North Korea has tracked down citizens and returned them to the country. China is complicit as well, labeling those who escape as illegal and returning them. People returned to the country are sent to forced-labor prison camps, known as "kwanliso," which literally means management centers. ... Kim does not allow unauthorized outside movies, news, etc., into the country. ... There is no religious freedom or allowed political opposition. ... The country has a "songbun" class system in which people are grouped into three categories ranking their loyalty 1. Loyal, 2. Wavering, 3. Hostile.

Quotable: "If the American imperialists provoke us a bit, we will not hesitate to slap them with a pre-emptive nuclear strike. The United States must choose! It's up to you whether the nation called the United States exists on this planet or not."

What Trump has said about him: "At a very young age, he was able to assume power. A lot of people, I'm sure, tried to take that power away, whether it was his uncle or anybody else. And he was able to do it. So obviously, he's a pretty smart cookie." (April 30, CBS)

"If it would be appropriate for me to meet with him, I would absolutely, I would be honored to do it. If it's under the, again, under the right circumstances. But I would do that. ... Most political people would never say that, but I'm telling you under the right circumstances I would meet with him. We have breaking news." (May 1, Bloomberg)

Potential Trump conflict: See China.

Nickname: "The Quiet General" a.k.a. "The Pimp"

President Trump shakes hands with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sissi in the Oval Office of the White House last month. Trump praised the job al-Sissi has done. Evan Vucci/AP hide caption

President Trump shakes hands with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sissi in the Oval Office of the White House last month. Trump praised the job al-Sissi has done.

What he's accused of: A long-time general in the country's military, he rose to power in a bloody coup. Some 800 protesters were killed in a single day ... Public criticism of the government is squashed ... Anti-government protests are banned ... Scores of people have been arrested ... Privacy rights are routinely violated ... Some independent human-rights organizations have been banned; NGO workers could face up to 25 years in prison if they are believed to be working against Egypt's national interest ... Charges were brought against the country's top anti-corruption official ... Forced disappearances ... Detainees tortured ... Thousands of trials with flimsy evidence ... Overcrowding in prisons that have seen forced feedings and isolation ... Freedom of speech is repressed the head of the Press Syndicate was charged with "publishing false news, which threatens public peace." ...

Religious freedom is almost nonexistent Christians are routinely discriminated against; churches are limited and speaking out against Islam, even ISIS, can land you in prison. Four Christian children, in fact, were sentenced to five years in prison for putting up a video that mocked ISIS. ... The government has undertaken some perfunctory steps to curb violence against women, but Human Rights Watch says, "Sexual harassment and violence against women remained endemic." The new Interior Minister, a woman, has put the onus on women, telling them to avoid speaking loudly and to be cautious about how they dress. Women are also routinely discriminated against in family law cases. ...

Sexually repressive society that criminalizes sex outside marriage ... Tracks down and prosecutes alleged gays, who are often sodomized by police. ... Egypt is one of the worst countries for journalists, ranked 161 of 180 countries in the World Press Freedom Index. Ten journalists have been killed since 2011; some have faced years in detention without charges, others have seen long prison terms, as the Sissi government undergoes a "Sisification" of the media.

Quotable: "Please, don't listen to anyone but me. I am dead serious. Be careful, no one should abuse my patience and good manners to bring down the state. I swear by God that anyone who comes near it, I will remove him from the face of the Earth. I am telling you this as the whole of Egypt is listening. What do you think you're doing? Who are you?"

What Trump has said about him (emphasis ours): "I will tell you, President al-Sisi has been somebody that's been very close to me from the first time I met him. I met during the campaign, and at that point there were two of us, and we both met. And hopefully you like me a lot more. But it was very long. It was supposed to be just a quick brief meeting, and we were with each other for a long period of time. We agreed on so many things. I just want to let everybody know, in case there was any doubt, that we are very much behind President al-Sisi. He's done a fantastic job in a very difficult situation. We are very much behind Egypt and the people of Egypt. And the United States has, believe me, backing, and we have strong backing. ... And I just want to say to you, Mr. President, that you have a great friend and ally in the United States and in me." (Bilateral meeting with Egypt's president, April 3)

Potential Trump conflict: Trump lists two companies in Egpyt on his financial disclosure Trump Marks Egypt and Trump Marks Egypt LLC. There is not a lot of information about the companies. They do not appear in the American Chamber of Commerce in Egypt's database. Both are, however, registered in Delaware. They are both registered with "National Registered Agents, Inc." out of Dover, Del. and were formed in 2007. (Many companies incorporate in Delaware, because there is no state income tax.)

Nickname: "Sultan" a.k.a. "Modern Yazid"

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. President Trump called to congratulate him recently on his win in a referendum that helped give more power to the Turkish presidency. Anadolu Agency/Getty Images hide caption

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. President Trump called to congratulate him recently on his win in a referendum that helped give more power to the Turkish presidency.

What he's accused of: Attempting to consolidate power in the face of political opposition. A referendum last month "gives him the green light to create a muscular presidency, with powers to personally appoint or dismiss ministers, select judges and rule by decree if he deems it necessary," BBC notes. ... He has jailed opponents and critics, including a 16-year-old, who insulted him and a Miss Turkey who shared a poem criticizing him. ... More than 50,000 people have been detained since a thwarted coup. ...

Accused protesters of being "arm in arm" with terrorists ... Turkey has the most jailed journalists of any country in the world. Fourteen were imprisoned in 2015, but that number jumped to 81 in 2016, more than double the number of journalists behind bars in China (No. 2 on the list). ... Some 120,000 public servants have been fired. ... Repressing religious freedom and women's rights. ... Attempted to criminalize adultery and create "alcohol-free zones."

Quotable: "You cannot put women and men on an equal footing. It is against nature. They were created differently. Their nature is different. ... Our religion has defined a position for women: motherhood. ... Some people can understand this, while others can't. You cannot explain this to feminists, because they don't accept the concept of motherhood."

A man walks past the Trump Towers building in Istanbul, Turkey. Ozan Kose/AFP/Getty Images hide caption

A man walks past the Trump Towers building in Istanbul, Turkey.

What Trump has said about him (emphasis ours): The White House issued a readout of Trump calling Erdogan after he won a referendum that expanded his power:

"President Donald J. Trump spoke today with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey to congratulate him on his recent referendum victory and to discuss the United States' action in response to the Syrian regime's use of chemical weapons on April 4th. President Trump thanked President Erdogan for supporting this action by the United States, and the leaders agreed on the importance of holding Syrian President Bashar al-Assad accountable. President Trump and President Erdogan also discussed the counter-ISIS campaign and the need to cooperate against all groups that use terrorism to achieve their ends."

Potential Trump conflict: Trump licenses his name to two buildings in Istanbul. He got $5 million from the licenses in 2016, according to his financial disclosure. Trump's former national security adviser Michael Flynn worked as a foreign agent for Turkey in the fall, while a campaign adviser to Trump, pulling in $500,000. It was something he only reported in March. He resigned his White House post three weeks earlier.

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6 Strongmen Trump Has Praised And The Conflicts It Presents - NPR

President Donald Trumpblasted the media as fake news and criticized journalists for taking part in the annualWhite House Correspondents Dinner on Saturday.

Trump held a rally in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, as several other events took place in Washington, D.C., including the dinner, thePeoples Climate Marchand Not The White House Correspondents Dinner, hosted by TBSSamantha Bee.

A large group of Hollywood actors and Washington media are consoling each other in a hotel ballroom in our nations capitol right now, he said. They are gathered together for a White House Correspondents Dinner without the president.

Carlo Allegri / Reuters

While speaking to reporters at the Ames Companies headquarters ahead of the rally, Trump struck a less critical tone about the dinner.

I hope they have a good dinner, But ours is going to be much more exciting, I think, Trump told reporters in the White House pool. We have a big crowd. We sold thousands and thousands of tickets.

Trump has attended the White House Correspondents Dinner before and was famously roasted by President Barack Obamaat the 2011 event.

His Pennsylvania rally was largely a chance for Trump to rail against what he called the dishonest media. Trump spent the majority of the rally criticizing journalists for their coverage of his first 100 days, and even repeated complaints about coverage of his presidential campaign.

At one point, the president claimed he invented the phrase fake news.

Everybody is using the word fake news, he said. Where did you hear it first, folks?

Carlo Allegri / Reuters

But his criticism wasnt just reserved for the media. Trump also went after Democrats, calling Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) a bad leader.

Hes leading the Democrats to doom, Trump said.

Trump also bragged about his success during his first 100 days and hyped up the crowd for upcoming events, including potential action on the North Korean situation, a big decision on the Paris climate accord and the building of a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.

Well build a wall, folks, dont even worry about it, Trump said.

Trump also took note of several people in the audience, asking security to remove a protester and highlighting some signs from the crowd.

Thank you for that sign. Blacks for Trump! I love that guy, Trump said, pointing to one supporters sign.

Vice President Mike Pence also made an appearance at the rally, calling the mainstream media fake news and prompting chants of CNN sucks from the audience while introducing Trump.

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Donald Trump Lashes Out At 'Fake News' Media As Journalists ...

One hundred days ago, when my father stood in front of the American people and took the oath of office, an American resurgence began.

After eight years of endless talk and speeches, sluggish growth at home and weakness abroad, a sense of optimism and opportunity is taking hold. In the first one hundred days of my fathers presidency, the country is witnessing something Ive been lucky enough to experience firsthand my entire lifea man of action, who keeps his promises and gets results.

This is the good news story of my fathers administration that the mainstream news media wont report because they dont understand it. My father is not a creature of Washington and hes not going to do things the way theyve always been done. He rejects business as usual because his number one priority is to make this country great again by bringing jobs, prosperity, opportunity and security back to the United States.

The first one hundred days have restored confidence in the American economy. The stock market is up, unemployment is going down, and across the board, economic indicators are showing optimism for the future and predicting growth across sectors. My fathers focus on American jobs and manufacturing has led to major announcements from companies like GM, Boeing, Carrier, and T-Mobile, all announcing they will keep jobs here and expand employment in the U.S.

Through an aggressive push using 28 Executive Orders and the 13 Congressional Review Act bills -- a record breaking number since the CRA became law -- Obama-era regulations with a $10 billion chokehold on our economy have been wiped out, easing the burden on small businesses and opening opportunities for job growth. He acted quickly to freeze regulations, and announced that for every new regulation, two regulations would have to be removed.

My father has already signed 28 bills into law, on important issues that promote women in STEM fields, increasing government transparency, and reducing the governments massive regulatory reach. Regulations that would crush family farms, shudder power plants, and raise the cost of electricity for families have all been stopped. The Wall Street Journal has noted that as president, my father is rolling back more regulations than any president in history.

This President is taking common sense actions that benefit the American people. The appointment of the eminently qualified Justice Neil Gorsuch ensures a conservative voice on our Supreme Court, restricting judicial activism. A restored focus on the rule of law has already resulted in a substantial drop in illegal border crossings, improving the security at our borders. He is lifting the restrictions on American energy, finally approving the Keystone XL and Dakota Access pipeline; addressing bad trade deals to make them work for Americans; and signing executive orders that takes on steel and aluminum dumping. He is working to slash taxes to jumpstart the economy, and provide relief for the millions of American families getting crushed by increasing ObamaCare premiums. The Trump Administration is working every day to take power away from big government and faceless bureaucrats in Washington and give it back to the American people.

My fathers leadership doesnt end at Americas shores. Both our allies and our enemies are remembering what American resolve looks like. We know from the last Administration, when you draw red lines and then do nothing when theyre crossed, adversaries on the global stage will fill the void, undermining the United States and our allies. Thats what leading from behind got us, but that is all over now.

As Commander in Chief, my father took decisive action against Syrian President Bashar al Assad after he turned chemical weapons against his own people. America is confronting ISIS everywhere from the caves of Afghanistan to the city of Mosul. And the United States is finally dealing with the threat of North Korea. President Trump is committed to rebuilding the U.S. military and empowering our commanders to fight our enemies and keep Americans safe.

Hard-working, middle class Americans who spent the last eight years struggling to make ends meet while Washington ignored them finally have a champion in this White House. Weve had enough of bureaucrats and Washington insiders writing laws and regulations that benefit them and their special interest buddies but put hard working Americans out of work.

The next four years--like the last one hundred days--are going to be about keeping promises to the American people. This President is going to make the government work for all of the people of this country, not just the well-connected insiders. Jobs and prosperity will return to this country, and my father will continue to lead with the strength and conviction that I have seen him live out every day in life and in business. He will never shirk from the tough calls, because he knows how to fix the problems facing this country and ensure a better, stronger more optimistic future for all of us today and for the next generation.

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Donald Trump, Jr.: My Father's First 100 Days | Fox News

"I loved my previous life, I loved my previous life. I had so many things going," Trump told Reuters. "I actually, this is more work than my previous life. I thought it would be easier."

Then, later: "I do miss my old life. This -- I like to work. But this is actually more work."

That sentiment is, in a word, strange. For a few reasons.

It's absolutely true that all presidents express -- privately and then, eventually, publicly -- some level of longing for the life they left behind or the life they will return to. But that usually happens after, say, seven or eight years in the White House. Not after 99 days.

The truth is -- and even Donald Trump might admit this in his most candid moments -- that he had almost zero idea of what being president would entail when he started running for the office almost two years ago now.

When he entered the race in June 2015, there was no reasonable expectation that he would even sniff the top tier of the Republican field. He was seen as a curiosity, a celebrity calling everyone's bluff who said he never could, should or would run.

Throughout the campaign -- even as he improbably rose to the top of the GOP field and stayed there -- Trump would always tell his crowds that being president would be easy, and that he would solve the problems of the country so quickly they wouldn't believe it.

"Together we're going to deliver real change that once again puts Americans first," Trump promised a Florida audience last October. "You're going to have such great health care, at a tiny fraction of the costand it's going to be so easy."

(Nota bene: Republican attempts to even hold a vote on legislation that would reform and replace the Affordable Care Act died Thursday night. For the second time in as many months.)

It's, of course, true that no president is ever, really, ready for the job when they come into office. But Trump's understanding of the office -- and of the political process was minuscule. He had never run for or served in any elected office. (Say what you will about the relative inexperience of George W. Bush and Barack Obama before ascending to the presidency but they had been elected and served as governor and senator, respectively.) Trump's experience in politics, by contrast, amounted to giving money when someone asked him to. And that's about it.

Which is how someone who has been president for the last 99 days can repeatedly express amazement that the job is hard -- far harder than he expected -- and wax nostalgic about his old life.

Trump's old life was, without question, easier than his current one. He starred in a reality TV show. He was the brand manager of a company built around his ostentatious personality. He did, basically, what he wanted to do when he wanted to do it.

Now his life is totally and completely proscribed. He has very little agency in all of it. He goes where he is told when he is told. And much of what Trump does on a daily basis is a radical departure from the "being Donald Trump" role that he had been playing for decades prior to winning the White House. He has to confront problems -- the Middle East, North Korea, healthcare -- in which he can't just snap his fingers, make a decision and move on. Nothing -- or almost nothing-- is black and white. It's all shades of gray. It's, um, hard.

Given all of that, it's easy to see why Trump might pine for the simpler life he led prior to being elected president. It's just very, very odd he decided to say that publicly less than 100 days into his administration.

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Donald Trump sounds like he really misses not being president

Donald Trump has said that a major conflict is possible with North Korea though he would prefer to solve the standoff over the countrys nuclear and missile programmes through diplomacy.

Trumps warning on Thursday came towards the end of a week where the administration has made a concerted effort to restrain Pyongyang from carrying out major new weapons tests.

At the same time, US officials sought to clarify US policy after a variety of mixed signals in the administrations first 100 days.

Rex Tillerson, the secretary of state, said that the US would be prepared to enter into direct talks with the regime of Kim Jong-un, but that it would have to prepare to negotiate getting rid of all its nuclear weapons.

The opening to diplomacy came as the head of the US Pacific Command, Admiral Harry Harris told the Senate that the standoff with North Korea was the worst he had seen. It was an assessment echoed by the president.

There is a chance that we could end up having a major, major conflict with North Korea. Absolutely, Trump told Reuters.

Wed love to solve things diplomatically but its very difficult, the president added.

Trump suggested there had been a breakthrough in Chinese readiness to help apply pressure on Kim since Xi Jinping visited the US president in Florida earlier this month.

I believe he [the Chinese president] is trying very hard. He certainly doesnt want to see turmoil and death. He doesnt want to see it. He is a good man. He is a very good man and I got to know him very well, Trump said.

With that being said, he loves China and he loves the people of China. I know he would like to be able to do something, perhaps its possible that he cant.

Tillerson had earlier said the Chinese had warned Pyongyang, an increasingly unruly client in recent years, that it would impose punitive measures if North Korea carried out provocative tests.

We know that China is in communications with the regime in Pyongyang, he told Fox News. They confirmed to us that they had requested the regime conduct no further nuclear test.

According to Tillerson, the Chinese told the regime that if they did conduct further nuclear tests, China would be taking sanctions actions on their own.

China refused to confirm or deny the US claim of new pressure. A foreign ministry spokesman reiterated Chinas support for UN sanctions on the North, but repeatedly avoided giving a direct answer when asked at a daily press briefing about what other plans China might be considering.

The US secretary of state said that the North Korean regime viewed its nuclear weapons and missile programmes as a guarantee of survival, and that the Trump administration sought to change that mindset.

We want to change that calculus of theirs and we have said to them: your pathway to survival and security is to eliminate your nuclear weapons and we and other countries will help you on the way to economic development, Tillerson said. He assured Pyongyang that the US objective was ridding the Korean peninsula of nuclear weapons, not toppling Kim Jong-un.

We do not seek a regime change in North Korea. We are not seeking the collapse of the regime.

Tillerson said that the US administration would wait as long as it takes for talks to start providing North Korea conducted no new nuclear or intercontinental ballistic missile tests.

The secretary of state did not directly reply to a question on whether this policy was very similar to the strategic patience pursued by the Obama administration, which Tillerson had earlier said had come to an end.

In his Oval Office interview with Reuters, Trump offered an assessment of Kim.

Asked if he considered the North Korean leader to be rational he noted that Kim had taken over his country at an early age.

Hes 27 years old. His father dies, took over a regime. So say what you want but that is not easy, especially at that age, he said.

Im not giving him credit or not giving him credit, Im just saying thats a very hard thing to do. As to whether or not hes rational, I have no opinion on it. I hope hes rational, he said.

Meanwhile, in a sign that North Koreas regional neighbours are taking the threat of a conflict seriously, Australian prime minister Malcolm Turnbull warned that Pyongyang could launch a nuclear attack on nations and claimed China has not applied enough pressure on the regime.

There is the possibility and the risk that North Korea could launch an attack on its neighbours, Turnbull said on 3AW radio.

That is the reason why there is so much effort being put into seeking to stop this reckless and dangerous conduct by the North Korean regime. They are a real threat to the peace and stability in the region and to the whole world.

Turnbull said while North Korea was often a subject of satire, the country had nuclear weapons and regularly threatened to use them.

Their threats can appear sometimes to be theatrical and over the top and they have been the subject of satire but I can assure you that my government takes ... the threat of North Korea very seriously, he said.

On Friday morning Tillerson will chair a special ministerial session of the UN security council on North Korea, aimed at convincing other members to impose existing sanctions on Pyongyang more rigorously.

In Washington, the head of the Arms Control Association, Daryl Kimball, welcomed the Trump administrations readiness for direct talks with North Korea.

There are some new things here. They are making clear that regime change is not the goal. There is a recognition that North Korea has security concerns, Kimball said. I think what we hearing the evening is more of the engagement part of the maximum pressure engagement policy that they are slowly rolling out.

He added: Its going to require persistence and patience.

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