There has been quite a storm in the media about the comments by President Trump about Otto Warmbier in the press gathering Trump held in Hanoi after the meeting with Kim Jung Un of North Korea. Warmbier, of course, is the American college student who visited North Korea and was arrested when he took a poster that had been displayed in his hotel. The North Koreans put him in prison where he was obviously mistreated. He was returned to the USA after a few years, but he was in terrible condition and he died a few days later. Trump was asked if he raised the Warmbier matter with Kim in Hanoi. In response, Trump said that he had, indeed, raised the issue and that Kim had told Trump that Kim was unaware of what had happened to Warmbier while it was taking place. Trump added that he would take Kim at his word.
Let's stop here for a moment. Nothing so far indicates that Trump "forgave" or "condoned" what happened to Warmbier. Trump just accepted that Kim was not personally involved or even aware of how Warmbier was being treated. We all know that Kim is a dictator, but how many people actually believe that Kim was getting reports on the treatment in prison of an American college student who stole a poster? Kim is in charge, but that doesn't mean he decides all details in the country. The media, however, has reacted with horror at the thought that Trump has excused Kim for what happened to Warmbier.
Now we need to consider something else. Warmbier was arrested by the North Koreas while Obama was president. The Obama administration did nothing to seek Warmbier's release. Obama left Warmbier to rot in a North Korean prison. The media said nothing. When Trump took office, he started applying pressure to the North Koreans to release all American prisoners/hostages that the NK's held. Due to this pressure, Warmbier and the other Americans were released by the North Koreans. The credit for achieving the release of Otto Warmbier belongs to President Trump. The media has forgotten all this because Trump did not assign personal blame to Kim Jung Un for the treatment of Warmbier in prison.
Remember, Trump is trying to get the NKs to give up their nuclear weapons. That effort is ongoing. Just because there was no agreement in Hanoi does not mean the efforts have ended. They haven't. Assigning personal blame to Kim Jung Un for what happened to Warmbier in prison is not something that would be likely to help in the denuclearization effort. The media knows this. The shouting over what Trump said is dishonest at the least.
Let's stop here for a moment. Nothing so far indicates that Trump "forgave" or "condoned" what happened to Warmbier. Trump just accepted that Kim was not personally involved or even aware of how Warmbier was being treated. We all know that Kim is a dictator, but how many people actually believe that Kim was getting reports on the treatment in prison of an American college student who stole a poster? Kim is in charge, but that doesn't mean he decides all details in the country. The media, however, has reacted with horror at the thought that Trump has excused Kim for what happened to Warmbier.
Now we need to consider something else. Warmbier was arrested by the North Koreas while Obama was president. The Obama administration did nothing to seek Warmbier's release. Obama left Warmbier to rot in a North Korean prison. The media said nothing. When Trump took office, he started applying pressure to the North Koreans to release all American prisoners/hostages that the NK's held. Due to this pressure, Warmbier and the other Americans were released by the North Koreans. The credit for achieving the release of Otto Warmbier belongs to President Trump. The media has forgotten all this because Trump did not assign personal blame to Kim Jung Un for the treatment of Warmbier in prison.
Remember, Trump is trying to get the NKs to give up their nuclear weapons. That effort is ongoing. Just because there was no agreement in Hanoi does not mean the efforts have ended. They haven't. Assigning personal blame to Kim Jung Un for what happened to Warmbier in prison is not something that would be likely to help in the denuclearization effort. The media knows this. The shouting over what Trump said is dishonest at the least.
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