It’s impossible to take Donald Trump at his word about much of anything, but he’s more than willing to do so for brutal dictators if it helps him politically. In Helsinki, Trump announced that he was taking Russian President Vladimir Putin’s word over U.S. intelligence agencies on Russian election hacking, and Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman was given a pass for the death of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi. It’s his statements letting North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un off the hook for American Otto Warmbier’s torture and death, however, that has both sides of the aisle furious.
Warmbier’s parents spoke out on Friday about Trump’s statements in Hanoi saying that Kim Jong Un had told him he didn’t know anything about the death of Warmbier when it happened and that Trump took him “at his word.” Fred and Cindy Warmbier released a statement saying:
‘We have been respectful during this summit process. Now we must speak out. Kim and his evil regime are responsible for the death of our son Otto. Kim and his evil regime are responsible for unimaginable cruelty and inhumanity. No excuses or lavish praise can change that. Thank you.’
In Hanoi, Pres. Trump defended Kim Jong Un in death of U.S. student Otto Warmbier, saying, "I don't believe that he would have allowed that to happen."
Warmbier's parents responded in a statement this morning: https://t.co/CcIY0X7LdA pic.twitter.com/fMEbKk0VBL
— ABC News (@ABC) March 1, 2019
Trump immediately responded to criticism from legislators on both sides of the aisle, as well as media criticism, but touting his close relationship with the Warmbier family and saying that he holds North Korea responsible. He still has never said that Kim Jong Un is directly responsible despite a lawsuit won by the Warmbiers against North Korea and their government.
According to NPR:
‘The Warmbiers attended Trump’s State of the Union address at his invitation in January 2018, receiving a standing ovation when he introduced them during the speech. When their son died, months earlier, Trump had offered his condolences and said his administration will work “to prevent such tragedies from befalling innocent people at the hands of regimes that do not respect the rule of law or basic human decency.”‘
In addition to Democratic lawmakers who have spoken out against Trump’s words, Republican Senator Rob Portman spoke on the Senate floor following Trump’s statements in a rare rebuke of the president.
‘We can’t be naive about what they did to Otto, about the brutal nature of the regime that would do this to an American citizen. And of course, it’s not just about Otto or other visitors — it’s about how the people of North Korea are treated, many of whom have also had their human rights violated.’
Sen. Chuck Schumer: Pres. Trump "owes Otto Warmbier’s parents an apology. Now." https://t.co/AinpKT0kvk pic.twitter.com/fxuaq9LCee
— ABC News (@ABC) March 1, 2019
Featured image screenshot via YouTube
