Donald Trump gave a press conference following the abrupt end of his summit with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un on Thursday.
A question was asked about American Otto Warmbier, who was tortured and nearly killed in North Korea, and was returned to American soil in a coma.
Trump said he doesn’t hold Kim Jong Un responsible, saying, “He tells me that he didn’t know about it and I will take him at his word.”
Twitter was shocked and sickened:
Trump's now bragging about bringing Otto Warmbier's dead body back; says he believes Kim Jong-un when he said he didn't know about it.
— William LeGate (@williamlegate) February 28, 2019 [1]
Trump says he believes Kim Jong Un was not responsible for what happened to Otto Warmbier.
"Those prisons are rough…He tells me that he didn’t know about it and I will take him at his word.”
Echoes of Trump previously taking Vladimir Putin at his word.
— Philip Rucker (@PhilipRucker) February 28, 2019 [2]
I’m done!
Lunatic Trump while rambling says he believes Kim Jong Un about Otto Warmbier who was tortured and died. Kim said he didn’t know. Wtf?? North Korean prisons are death chambers because of Kim Jong Un— Olga Lautman (@olgaNYC1211) February 28, 2019 [3]
Jesus, Trump is defending Kim Jong Un over US student Otto Warmbier's death, saying "I don't think he knew about it" and felt "Very badly about it." This is shameful and should make all Americans livid. #HanoiSummit [4]
— Wajahat Ali (@WajahatAli) February 28, 2019 [5]
Truly remarkable: Trump runs cover for Kim on Otto Warmbier: “I don’t believe he would have allowed that…he felt very badly about it…he tells me that he didn’t know about it and I will take him at his word”.
— Jim Sciutto (@jimsciutto) February 28, 2019 [6]
Trump doesn’t think Kim had anything to do with Otto Warmbier’s death. “He felt bad about it.” About as bad as he felt after killing his brother and uncle, I bet. ????
— shauna (@goldengateblond) February 28, 2019 [7]
OMG!!! NOW HE’S DEFENDING KIM JONG UN?!? SAYING HE’S NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR OTTO?!?! WHAT THE FUCK?!?!?!
TRUMP DEFENDS PUTIN, KIM JONG UN AND Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman. And you guys still stand up for him. You’re all pathetic .@GOPLeader [8] @senatemajldr [9] .@LindseySen [10]
— 2cats (@love_my_2cats) February 28, 2019 [11]
WATCH:
Trump sides with Kim in the Otto Warmbier death using very familiar language: "You have a lot of people. And some really bad things happened to Otto. Some really, really bad things. But he tells me that he didn't know about it, and I will take him at his word." pic.twitter.com/nYnZpKKiDy [12]
— Adam Parkhomenko (@AdamParkhomenko) February 28, 2019 [13]