President Trump brands North Korea leader ‘smart’ and intelligent

He also praised Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping

President Trump has courted controversy by branding controversial world leaders 'smart', 'sharp' and intelligent. Speaking at a rally in Des Moines, Iowa ahead of the upcoming presidential election, Trump said the United States needs an intelligent leader on par with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping. "President Xi of China, he's 100 percent," said President Trump. "Putin of Russia, 100 percent. Kim Jong Un of North Korea, 100 percent. These people are sharp and they're smart." [caption id="attachment_253191" align="alignnone" width="2048"] President Trump said Joe Biden wasn't on the level of Putin or Kim Jong Un. (Photo: Getty)[/caption] Trump then took a swipe at Democratic nominee Joe Biden, whom he said is not on the intellectual level of such powerful world leaders. "Joe has lost it. In his best days, he wasn't a smart man and everybody knows it." Trump's Iowa rally was held at Des Moines International Airport. Thousands were in attendance, though the vast majority paid no attention to social distincing measures and many did not wear face masks. Near the airport, a billboard displayed a message stating "Trump Covid Superspreader Event" with an arrow pointing towards the rally. [caption id="attachment_253189" align="alignnone" width="2048"] A billboard points the way to a campaign rally being hosted by President Trump at the Des Moines International Airport on October 14, 2020 in Des Moines, Iowa. Iowa currently has a COVID-19 positivity rate above 11 percent. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)[/caption] The Governor of Iowa is a Republican by the name of Kim Reynolds. While she stressed the need for people to stay six feet apart on her social media accounts, she also urged as many people as possible to attend President Trump's rally. Iowa has a coronavirus positivity rate of 11%. Trump won Iowa in a landslide victory in 2016, though polling data shows the 2020 Presidential election is likely to be a far closer contest in the state.