Trump was asked by a reporter Friday whether he was upset over the sanctions put in place by the Treasury Department.

"Not at all. Because they were intended to go," he said. "People thought that they would go at that time. They had the right to do that. I just decided that I would not let it happen."

Bloomberg reported this week that the president did in fact mean to reverse the Treasury sanctions but was convinced not to by his aides.

As of late Friday, the press release announcing the measures against the Chinese companies remained on the Treasury's website.

Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un held their second summit in Vietnam last month to try to advance a broad denuclearization agreement they reached at their first summit in Singapore in June.

The summit collapsed without a deal due to disagreements over US demands for North Korea's complete denuclearization and North Korean demands for significant sanctions relief from the US.

Still, Trump has expressed an openness to continuing negotiations.

"I have a very good relationship with Kim Jong-un. He's somebody that I get along with very well. We understand each other," the president said. "They are suffering greatly in North Korea. They're having a hard time in North Korea. And I just didn't think additional sanctions at this time were necessary. It doesn't mean I don't put them on later, but I didn't think that additional sanctions at this time were necessary."

When asked whether he has spoken to Kim "since," he replied no.

"And I think, because of the relationship -- relationship being a good thing, not a bad thing -- I think it's very important that you maintain that relationship at least as long as you can," Trump said.