Donald Trump’s trip to Hanoi, Vietnam for a “nuclear summit” with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un was as much a waste of time diplomatically as it was a swing and a miss for the President’s win-loss stats — he came away with no deal, even after surrendering on the objective of getting a “full accounting” of the country’s nuclear efforts.
But in an apparent attempt to set up Trump-Kim 3: The Sequel Nobody Asked For, Donald made one final concession to Kim, something so unnecessary it baffles the American conscience as to why our President would bend the knee in such a way to a hostile foreign nation: He publicly stated that he believed Kim’s ludicrous assertion that he didn’t know anything about the brutal treatment of American college student Otto Warmbier when he was imprisoned in North Korea in 2016.
He tells me he didn’t know about it, and I take him at his word.”
That actually follows a perverse logic for this President — whoever’s in charge must be believed, no matter the issue or cost. If he doesn’t publicly profess to believe ridiculously transparent lies like that, how can he expect America to believe that somehow his campaign managed to conspire with Russia to affect the outcome of his election without him ever knowing about it?
But that’s little consolation to people like Warmbier’s parents, who know that Kim would be acutely aware of the treatment of any prisoner from a foreign nation, especially one from the United States — it’s completely asinine to think otherwise, almost an insult in its own way to Kim’s leadership.
And at least one prominent American took issue with the President’s characterization — former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley:
Americans know the cruelty that was placed on Otto Warmbier by the North Korean regime. Our hearts are with the Warmbier family for their strength and courage. We will never forget Otto. ❤️🇺🇸
— Nikki Haley (@NikkiHaley) February 28, 2019
Haley didn’t mention Trump by name, but the “North Korean regime” begins and ends with Kim Jong Un, as everyone knows. It was a less-than-subtle jab at the President for his soft stance toward Kim.
Some were disappointed that Haley didn’t specifically call Trump out for his shameful ass-kissing:
A very lame way to call out the president. Not good enough, Nikki.
— individual (@mbr12345mbr) February 28, 2019
Others simply pointed out the obvious:
Man it really is telling how EVERYONE that leaves the Trump orbit will suddenly display their direct opposition to what he says.
— CJ Belleville (@THECJBelleville) February 28, 2019
Whatever you think of Haley, she’s right on this, and Donald Trump is wrong. Kim Jong Un knew everything about the torture of Otto Warmbier, and allowing him to pretend he didn’t is a cowardly move.
Featured image via screen capture
