Pressed by Fox New's Brett Baier in an interview about Kim's oppression of his own people, Trump said: “Yeah, but so have a lot of other people have done some really bad things.”
Trump downplays Kim Jung Un's totalitarian dictatorship.
BAIER: "He has done some really bad things."
TRUMP: "Yeah, but so have a lot of other people have done some really bad things. I mean, I could go through a lot of nations where a lot of bad things were done." pic.twitter.com/AZxnuXQTqi — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) June 13, 2018
Asked about his decision to negotiate with a known “killer,” Trump praised the North Korean leader for being a “tough guy” who managed to take control of his country at a young age.
“I don’t care who you are, what you are, what kind of advantage you have,” Trump said of Kim, whose family has controlled North Korea since its creation. “If you can do that at 27 years old, you, I mean, that's one in 10,000 that can do that.”
Trump went on to call Kim a “very smart guy” and a “great negotiator” in the interview, which was aired Wednesday.
“I think we understand each other,” he said.
Trump has faced worldwide criticism for his lavish praise of Kim, which came after a contentious Group of Seven summit during which he ripped U.S. allies.
After meeting with Kim, Trump called him a “very talented man” who is a “funny guy” and “loves his people.”
Human Rights Watch last year labeled North Korea “one of the most repressive authoritarian states in the world.” Kim is accused by the United Nations Human Rights Council and watchdog groups of carrying out public executions, arbitrary detention and forced labor, torture and persecution of those with religious affiliations.
Just last year, Kim was also accused of orchestrating the execution of his half-brother at a Malaysia airport with a banned nerve agent.
Trump said he raised the issue of human rights “briefly” with Kim during their nuclear summit in Singapore.
dollaz808 on June 14th, 2018 at 02:31 UTC »
It’s like when James Franco meets Kim Jong Un. I wonder if Trump will have his plastic grocery store moment.
Gfrisse1 on June 14th, 2018 at 01:08 UTC »
He didn't "take control." It was handed to him. From late 2010, Kim Jong-un was viewed as heir apparent to the leadership of the DPRK, and following the elder Kim's death, he was announced as the "Great Successor" by North Korean state television
It's not all that difficult when you assassinate all your potential competition.
ctolsen on June 14th, 2018 at 00:07 UTC »
Just for good measure, he threw in a comment about it being 'pretty good' that Xi Jinping is president for life.