Former NBA player Dennis Rodman attends an event with US president Donald Trump at the Peterbilt Motors truck plant in Denton, Texas. (AFP pic)

DENTON: US President Donald Trump has talked a lot about wanting to meet Kim Jong Un again but so far his entreaties to the North Korean leader have gone unanswered. Can former NBA star Dennis Rodman help prompt a rebound in their relationship?

Rodman was in Trump's entourage on Thursday as the president spoke at a truck factory in Denton, Texas, before heading to a campaign rally at Southeastern Oklahoma State University in Durant, Oklahoma. No reason was given for Rodman's presence, but he is an alumnus of the Durant school.

The inclusion of Rodman in Trump's travelling party comes as the president tries to arrange a face-to-face meeting with Kim, and Rodman is known to be friendly with the head of the nuclear-armed nation.