Warmbier's parents blame N Korea for son's death; Trump says his comments misinterpreted

Why would Kim order the death of an American prisoner who'd have been far more valuable alive? Why would North Korea scare off foreign tourists, which are now the regime's most important source of hard currency?

Unlike President Donald Trump, Otto Warmbier's parents don't believe North Korea's leader.

Trump may not believe Kim either, but when you are trying to negotiate denuclearization with dictators it's generally not a good idea to call them a liar especially when you're not 100% sure.

White House counselor Kellyanne Conway said Friday on the Fox News show "America's Newsroom" that Trump has "deep affection" for the Warmbiers, shares their grief and agrees North Korea is responsible.

But, she said, Trump is saying "there's no indication Chairman Kim knew what happened to Otto Warmbier when it happened."

True.

Democratic Sen Chuck Schumer, of New York, said in a tweet that Trump owes the Warmbiers an apology for "simply deciding to take a cruel and brutal dictator at his word."

I'd like to see Chuck try his hand at negotiating denuclearization with Kim by calling him a liar.

Trump may not believe Kim either, but when you are trying to negotiate denuclearization with dictators it's generally not a good idea to call them a liar especially when you're not 100% sure.

Appeasement. Pathetic.

I take Putin at his word he didn't meddle in the election.

I take Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's at his word that he didn't know about the mirdered journalist.

I take Kim's at his word that he didn't know about Warmbier's treatment.

Strangerland:. Appeasement. Pathetic.

But but but Russia is strong.

But but but we need Saudi oil.

But but but Kim had nukes.

How low can this disgusting incompetent failed reality TV star we have impersonating a President go - real low apparently...

After insulting war heroes and Gold Star families, he now says that his best bud Kim, who murdered his uncle because he fell asleep at a meeting, is the fountain of truth and didn't know his guards at the gulag were torturing Warmbier. Sure....

As has been said above, he believes KIm, Putin, and MBS - all bloodthirsty dictators, over his own US intel experts.

Absolutely disgraceful... as his own staff said, he's a danger to the republic...

SuperLib

EXCELLENT comments!!

Trump may not believe Kim either, but when you are trying to negotiate denuclearization with dictators it's generally not a good idea to call them a liar especially when you're not 100% sure

Now you know liberals are like vultures waiting to pound on any bits of flesh that presents itself. Any word this President utters will be scrutinized to the smallest molecule. Rational and normal thinking people know why he did what he did and Trump has their number, probably had contact with the parents already, they probably and rightfully so wanted him to criticize publicly Kim, but Trump probably thought at that moment because of how the talks ended not to antagonize the situation. Even if the optics of it looked bad, I get why he did what he did.

I get why he did what he did.

So do I, this^^^, is the essence of it all, because none of us keyboard warriors here really truly know exactly what happened. People get sick whilst travelling, the unfortunate thing here is Otto didn't get treatment.

Bass:. Any word this President utters will be scrutinized to the smallest molecule.

Almost as if he's the victim.

Give it 12 hours and you'll have your liberal hypocrisy angle served up by Fox News. Patience, my friend.

Any word this President utters will be scrutinized to the smallest molecule.

Words have molecules?

Rational and normal thinking people know why he did what he did and Trump has their number,

Rational and normal people know words don't have molecules...

probably had contact with the parents already, they probably and rightfully so wanted him to criticize publicly Kim, but Trump probably thought at that moment because of how the talks ended not to antagonize the situation.

BS. He failed as a leader to stand up to a bloodthirsty dictator that killed a US citizen - or as Ann Coulter accurately put it; he's a "wimp"...

Even if the optics of it looked bad, I get why he did what he did.

He could do anything to endanger this country or destroy our democracy, and you and the rest of the cultists would no doubt "get it"...

The administration in charge when he was first taken had the responsibility to get him released before any of this happened.

A non-invasive autopsy reported no signs of external injury nor any traces of botulism but that he was in a vegetative state due to brain trauma likely caused by oxygen deprivation. My guess is that he was waterboarded too aggressively - that kind of treatment would result in his condition.

What was misinterpreted? He literally said he takes Kim -- dictator and sociopath -- at his word, WHILE acknowledging the terrible camps said dictator reigns over. Trump was not misinterpreted; his words once again embarrassed the nation and he is Simply and poorly attempted to walk them back. You'll notice in this "I was misinterepreted" he still will not say that Kim was responsible.

What an insult to Warmbier's name and his family, and to America.

What an awful outcome for Warmbeirs, seventeen months ! How much longer were they going to hold him ?

There is something very wrong but good on Trump for trying negotiations first.

If you want an alternative hypothesis not involving North Korean torture, I would point you to an article written by the investigative journalist Doug Clark, published in GQ, July 23 2018.

Almost as if he's the victim.

Give it 12 hours and you'll have your liberal hypocrisy angle served up by Fox News. Patience, my friend.

I’m extremely patient, that’s why I can deal with liberals, I can even stomach liberal talking points from CNN and msnbc,

" Kim loves me and I love Kim. "

Donald Trump

These criminals have to stick up for one another.

When I first read POTUS reaction, I knew it would be purposely misconstrued,

by msm.

IMO, Trump knows a lot of people, of all sorts, and is a top negotiator of getting deals

done.

Sometimes you placate rather than instigate.

President Trump knows the real deal, he hasn't changed his mind,

but this summit was not the time to re-hash, or split hairs,

but for getting the present issues, ironed out.

If CNN dedicated more time and energy to thinking things through,

rather than being the constant nit-pick, nay-saying, paper monkey wrench

they continually choose to be,

they might actually become useful.

If you want an alternative hypothesis not involving North Korean torture, I would point you to an article written by the investigative journalist Doug Clark, published in GQ, July 23 2018.

An interesting read in general. The link is https://www.gq.com/story/otto-warmbier-north-korea-american-hostage-true-story

Rational and normal people know words

Sadly, the liberals don’t or not anything we can call rational.

BS. He failed as a leader to stand up to a bloodthirsty dictator that killed a US citizen

Garbage, he didn’t fail, a Democrat would have excoriated Kim and we’d be right where we were two years ago and it’s because liberals use emotions to deal with conflict

- or as Ann Coulter accurately put it; he's a "wimp"...

Ann was right about Democrats-"There are a lot of bad republicans; there are no good democrats.

Spot on!

He could do anything to endanger this country or destroy our democracy,

Funny, I didn’t hear you say anything like that about the Iran deal, but thankfully the Pentagon did (why he didn’t listen) Israel did as well as the Saudis.

 liberals are like vultures waiting to pound on any bits of flesh that presents itself. 

Remember that it was Otto Warmbier's parents who made a statement implicitly, but obviously, criticizing Trump's refusal to blame Kim for Otto's torture and death.

Are you calling the Warmbiers vultures?

Trump shouldn't have started talking before the piggy faced fatty apologized for this specific. That's what happened when Koizumi met his father who also made an excuse " I didn't know about what some of my blind subordinates have done"

Seems like most of the direct blame should go to the NK police and Warmbier himself.

Remember that it was Otto Warmbier's parents who made a statement implicitly, but obviously, criticizing Trump's refusal to blame Kim for Otto's torture and death.

Are you calling the Warmbiers vultures?

Plastic, calm down and please read very carefully what I first wrote.

calm down and please read very carefully what I first wrote.

I am and I did.

You're blaming "liberals" for criticizing Trump's comment, when it was the Warmbiers who criticized Trump.

My question was a rhetorical one. Read it again carefully.

Warmbiers are those Trump supporters who came to face the hard truth !

So let's take inventory:

blacklabel: It's Obama's fault.

extanker: It's Otto Warmbier's fault.

Serrano: Trump was right to appease Un.

bass: Democrats, liberals, Iran, Democrats, liberals.

blue in green: Trump is the victim.

Helix: Trump should have cleared not just Un but NK entirely as this evidence suggests. So maybe the point was Trump was too hard on him? Not 100% sure with this one.

The fact is Trump gave yet another cover story for a dictator, another one of whom is our enemy, all based on their "word." It comes across that these people can play him like a fiddle. He should be able to see this. People around him should tell him not to this anymore.

a Democrat would have excoriated Kim and we’d be right where we were two years ago and it’s because liberals use emotions to deal with conflict

Yep. Makes complete sense. The Iran nuclear agreement and the ACA were products of Obama's capricious and emotional outbursts. Trump's decisions to shred the Iran agreement, dismantle the ACA, and leave the Paris climate accords--all without replacement plans--were the product of carefully thought out strategizing. As was his decision to start using "build the wall" at his rallies (which had nothing to do with Roger Stone).

It seems that many in the media have no shame in exploiting anything in order to attack Trump. This is just the latest example.

I don't believe Trump's opponents care about Warmbler at all. They are just using him as a weapon to launch another offensive against Trump. Again.

It seems that many in the media have no shame in exploiting anything in order to attack Trump. This is just the latest example.

The news media should not report this story. It makes POTUS look bad and feel bad.

Let's all forget what Trump said and what Otto Warmbier's parents said. To do otherwise is far left propaganda.

Rational and normal people know words

That's not my quote - are you now going so low as to misquoting people? The exact quote is below;

Bass: Any word this President utters will be scrutinized to the smallest molecule.

Linc: Words have molecules?

Bass: Rational and normal thinking people know why he did what he did and Trump has their number,

Linc: Rational and normal people know words don't have molecules...

Stop changing quotes just because you can't reply to one.

BS. He failed as a leader to stand up to a bloodthirsty dictator that killed a US citizen

Garbage, he didn’t fail, a Democrat would have excoriated Kim and we’d be right where we were two years ago and it’s because liberals use emotions to deal with conflict

Do you know excoriated means? It means: to criticize (someone) severely; to criticize, find fault with, censure, denounce, condemn, arraign, attack, lambaste, disparage, denigrate, deprecate, malign, vilify, besmirch. You're right, a Democrat would do that - hold Kim accountable. Trump did the opposite - he praised and said he "loved" this bloodthirsty murderer. He's a submissive, Un-American wimp...

- or as Ann Coulter accurately put it; he's a "wimp"...

Ann was right about Democrats-"There are a lot of bad republicans; there are no good democrats.

Spot on!

Spot on for Trump: "Idiot!"

He could do anything to endanger this country or destroy our democracy,

Funny, I didn’t hear you say anything like that about the Iran deal, but thankfully the Pentagon did (why he didn’t listen) Israel did as well as the Saudis.

Diversion. This article is about Otto Warmbier and Trump's failure and humiliation to stand up for an American - if you want to discuss the Iran deal, find an article addressing that..

Yep. Makes complete sense. The Iran nuclear agreement and the ACA were products of Obama's capricious and emotional outbursts. Trump's decisions to shred the Iran agreement, dismantle the ACA, and leave the Paris climate accords--all without replacement plans--were the product of carefully thought out strategizing. As was his decision to start using "build the wall" at his rallies (which had nothing to do with Roger Stone).

This is gold. Now imagine how they'd frame the decision-making process and negotiation skills of a female president--hopefully we'll get to see that in less than 2 years. I'm on the record as saying it's good to talk to NK, no matter Trump's motives. But that doesn't make the hypocritical jiujitsu practiced by right wingers any less breathtaking.

I don't believe Trump's opponents care about Warmbler at all. They are just using him as a weapon to launch another offensive against Trump. Again.

From your perch in Europe, you're holding forth about what Americans feel about one of our fellow citizens being murdered in NK. Your own caring is manifest.

Dozens of comments written by other Trump supporters saying pretty much the same thing, most likely. It looks like the new line of spin they're all parroting is something like:

So now it’s spin? Liberals in the US are all about spin, they practically invented It.

"Trump-haters will pick on him for anything, no matter how petty and insignificant."

When I hear statements like that from liberals, I really have to laugh, really.

Warmbler was held in North Korea from December 2015 until June 2017.

The vast majority of that time encompassed the presidency of Barack Obama -- who did absolutely nothing to obtain Warmbler's release.

But, no, let's cast Trump as the bad guy in all of this.

are you now going so low as to misquoting people? The exact quote is below;

Lincoln, really? Lol

You're right, a Democrat would do that - hold Kim accountable.

I see how Democrats in the past have done so well with NK, you just made my point.

Trump did the opposite - he praised and said he "loved" this bloodthirsty murderer. He's a submissive, Un-American wimp...

Yes, the last President praised the Mullahs, so what’s your point?

So please don’t start with the fake and empty attack on the President, I’m not saying he was right, but I get why he said what he did, now imagine if Trump would have excoriated Kim on the international stage and Kim would have resumed his hostile stance and the name calling resumes, liberals would have condemned the President and would have said, maybe he should have kept his mouth shut or not say anything. Yaaawn, we get it. And it doesn’t matter, I didn’t like what he said, but I get it and I don’t think he was so wrong in doing so given the circumstances of what happened earlier that day.

are you now going so low as to misquoting people? The exact quote is below;

Lincoln, really? Lol

It's all in black and white above for everyone to see...

You're right, a Democrat would do that - hold Kim accountable.

I see how Democrats in the past have done so well with NK, you just made my point.

Show me a Democrat that said they "love" Kim....we'll be waiting...

Trump did the opposite - he praised and said he "loved" this bloodthirsty murderer. He's a submissive, Un-American wimp...

Yes, the last President praised the Mullahs, so what’s your point?

BS and a dodge...Ann said he's a wimp and he proved her right...

So please don’t start with the fake and empty attack on the President, I’m not saying he was right, but I get why he said what he did, now imagine if Trump would have excoriated Kim on the international stage and Kim would have resumed his hostile stance and the name calling resumes, liberals would have condemned the President and would have said, maybe he should have kept his mouth shut or not say anything. Yaaawn, we get it. And it doesn’t matter, I didn’t like what he said, but I get it and I don’t think he was so wrong in doing so given the circumstances of what happened earlier that day.

What if he would have allowed his diplomats to do their jobs and realized that nK was not going to agree to our bottom-line and spared us all the drama - and saved him from the humiliation of going there and getting nothing?

Show me a Democrat that said they "love" Kim....we'll be waiting...

Show me a Democrat that hates the Iran deal. Go ahead, take your time...

Ann said he's a wimp and he proved her right...

As she said about liberals, she was equally right.

What if he would have allowed his diplomats to do their jobs and realized that nK was not going to agree to our bottom-line and spared us all the drama -

He had Bolton and Pompeo, some of the more hawkish people whom he deeply trusts and to be frank, I know he was getting more in his ear from Bolton, so good on all of them.

and saved him from the humiliation of going there and getting nothing?

No humiliation, but I get it, Tipper and the Democrats said the same about Reykjavík and well all laughed it off...liberals..

Warmbler was held in North Korea from December 2015 until June 2017.

The vast majority of that time encompassed the presidency of Barack Obama -- who did absolutely nothing to obtain Warmbler's release.

Former Obama administration National Safety Council spokesman Ned Price told CNN Tuesday that efforts to rescue Warmbier never ceased, even in waning days of Obama's administration

"We had no higher priority than securing the release of Americans detained overseas," Price said. "North Korea’s isolation posed unique challenges, but we worked through every avenue available to us — including through the Swedish, our protecting power, as well as through our representatives in New York — to secure the release of Mr. Warmbier."

Price said those efforts resulted in the release of at least 10 Americans from North Korean custody during the course of the Obama administration.

But, no, let's cast Trump as the bad guy in all of this.

He's a bad guy because he said this;

During a news conference Thursday, Trump was asked if he and Kim had discussed Otto and whether he had asked the North Korean leader to take responsibility for what happened to him.

Trump said that "something very bad happened" to Warmbier, but that he didn't believe Kim knew about it or would have allowed it to happen.

"He tells me that he didn't know about it, and I will take him at his word," Trump said.

He said he believed this cruel dictator that engages in slavery and mass murder - and rather than stand up for America and hold him accountable, he caved....

But of course, that's par for the course - Dimwit Donnie never holds himself accountable for anything...

Show me a Democrat that said they "love" Kim....we'll be waiting...

Show me a Democrat that hates the Iran deal. Go ahead, take your time...

Won't take any time:

The Republican House voted against the deal by a 269-to-162 margin in September 2015 - 25 Democrats opposed the deal, including three from Palm Beach County: Reps. Ted Deutch of Boca Raton, Alcee Hastings of Delray Beach and Lois Frankel of West Palm Beach..

Over to you....we'll be waiting....

Ann said he's a wimp and he proved her right...

As she said about liberals, she was equally right.

Another on record statement - Bass: Trump is a wimp....

What if he would have allowed his diplomats to do their jobs and realized that nK was not going to agree to our bottom-line and spared us all the drama -

He had Bolton and Pompeo, some of the more hawkish people whom he deeply trusts and to be frank, I know he was getting more in his ear from Bolton, so good on all of them.

Answer the question - why didn't he get the deal agreed to before going?

and saved him from the humiliation of going there and getting nothing?

No humiliation, but I get it, Tipper and the Democrats said the same about Reykjavík and well all laughed it off...liberals..ROFL!

He went, he failed, and he came home in humiliation...and it was all his fault - he could have spared himself all that if he would have entrusted his diplomats to do their work. But nope, he's smarter than all of them - sure he is...what a Dimwit...

Former Obama administration National Safety Council spokesman Ned Price told CNN Tuesday that efforts to rescue Warmbier never ceased, even in waning days of Obama's administration

But the end result is: he didn’t get him back.

He's a bad guy..

Hmmm..l.disagree.

He said he believed this cruel dictator that engages in slavery and mass murder - and rather than stand up for America and hold him accountable, he caved....

I don’t think it was wrong, didn’t like it, but given the circumstances, I definitely understand the psychology of it all.

Over to you....we'll be waiting....

https://www.vox.com/world/2018/5/8/17326650/iran-nuclear-deal-withdraw-trump-speech-goldberg-interview

To the haters, we get it, you hate him, I hate broccoli, but it doesn’t mean, is bad for you.

He went, he failed, and he came home in humiliation...and it was all his fault - he could have spared himself all that if he would have entrusted his diplomats to do their work. But nope, he's smarter than all of them - sure he is...what a Dimwit

I haven’t seen any Democrats going to stop any of the dictators, won’t stop China, dared not stop Putin going into Crimea, silent on our murdered ambassador and tried to cover it up, allowed Russian planes to fly within close proximity of our naval fleet, praised a soldier that went AWOL said nothing The soldiers that died trying to look for the guy. All of the previous Presidents advisors misguided this guy, at least with Bolton and Pompeo, he had two of the most hawkish guys advising him and Trump’s classic instinct to walk away, classic Reagan style.

Former Obama administration National Safety Council spokesman Ned Price told CNN Tuesday that efforts to rescue Warmbier never ceased, even in waning days of Obama's administration

But the end result is: he didn’t get him back.

The poster said "Obama didn't try" - that was proven incorrect. And Warmbier was returned on Trump's watch - you know, per his comments on 9/11?

He's a bad guy..

Hmmm..l.disagree.

Of course - that's what cultists do...

He said he believed this cruel dictator that engages in slavery and mass murder - and rather than stand up for America and hold him accountable, he caved....

I don’t think it was wrong, didn’t like it, but given the circumstances, I definitely understand the psychology of it all.

The psychology of it is that he failed....

Over to you....we'll be waiting....

https://www.vox.com/world/2018/5/8/17326650/iran-nuclear-deal-withdraw-trump-speech-goldberg-interview

To the haters, we get it, you hate him, I hate broccoli, but it doesn’t mean, is bad for you.

Come on Bass - this is getting to be a waste of of time. I asked you to name a Democrat that said they "loved" Kim. You dodged that and asked me to name a Democrat that opposes the Iran deal. I showed you specifically three out of 25. So where's the answer to my question on a Democrat that "loves" Kim? Stop all this blatant dodging - answer the question or say you can't...

He went, he failed, and he came home in humiliation...and it was all his fault - he could have spared himself all that if he would have entrusted his diplomats to do their work. But nope, he's smarter than all of them - sure he is...what a Dimwit

I haven’t seen any Democrats going to stop any of the dictators, won’t stop China, dared not stop Putin going into Crimea, silent on our murdered ambassador and tried to cover it up, allowed Russian planes to fly within close proximity of our naval fleet, praised a soldier that went AWOL said nothing The soldiers that died trying to look for the guy. All of the previous Presidents advisors misguided this guy, at least with Bolton and Pompeo, he had two of the most hawkish guys advising him and Trump’s classic instinct to walk away, classic Reagan style.

Classic instinct - cower and run - just like in Syria....I agree with you and Ann - he's a "wimp"...

No liberals cared about Otto when he was alive or even when he died. Just another Trump attack point for liberals.

bass4funk: "I’m extremely patient..."

He says in staccato posts trying to defend the indefensible.

"To the haters, we get it, you hate him, I hate broccoli, but it doesn’t mean, is bad for you."

Well, you're right that Trump is more or less a vegetable in terms of his intelligence and ability to think, but beyond that your completely off the wall analogy is just that.

"ROFL!"

Ah, the nervous "LOLs" and even more desperate "ROFL". Can't blame you; Trump is in very bad shape no matter what why you slice it. You have caked so much lipstick on that pig he's the size of an elephant, but still a pig all the same.

The poster said "Obama didn't try" - that was proven incorrect. And Warmbier was returned on Trump's watch - you know, per his comments on 9/11?

As once an IDF special forces once said, trying doesn’t mean anything in a hostage situation.

Of course - that's what cultists do...

And haters will hate.

The psychology of it is that he failed....

There are others that think the Reagan psychology of what Trump did was the right approach.

Come on Bass - this is getting to be a waste of of time. I asked you to name a Democrat that said they "loved" Kim.

Love meaning, they accepted his saber rattling. No dodge.

You dodged that and asked me to name a Democrat that opposes the Iran deal.

They supported it, even though they know it was a danger to the region and I’ll take the word of Mossad and IDF over House Democrats any day of the year.

Super: Serrano: Trump was right to appease Un.

Did I say that? Checking... Nope! Don't put words in my mouth. Ever.

Trump routine.

Threaten, cave in, praise, fail, repeat. He wanted a photo op and a Nobel prize, do you think he cares about a dead American College student when he can get good press?

Liberals all know that Trump and his family are criminals and rotten to the core, we knew that three years ago. The rest of the USA, like always, is finally waking up to see this con man for what he truly is. Some will never get it, that says so much about them and their blind partisanship bordering on cult like delusion.

I wonder how many people from other countries who attempted to steal something and were caught suffered similar fates at the hands of the United States...Did the sitting POTUS at the time know personally about each of these? Does trump know all of the parents grieving their 'disappeared' children separated from them at our border and lost in a chaotic system of Corporate disorganization and child stealing? Do none of the reflexive speakers (no intervening cognitive process) here understand that NO ONE of the actors here other than Mr. Warmbier's parents actually care about his fate other than his use as a propaganda football? And, if we consider the 250,000 U.S. deaths each year from medical error, the idea that a food poisoning which can paralyze the diaphragmatic function coupled with a 'sleeping' pill might lead to cerebral hypoxia for someone in an American hospital would not be an unusual story at all. Why so in this case? Other than propaganda football? And can we trust ANYTHING we hear from ANY source regarding North Korea, good or bad, in this current political cacophony? No.

It seems that it is possible to see eye-to-eye with conservatives:

*"This is reprehensible, what he just did," the Republican former Pennsylvania senator [Rick Santorum] told anchor John Berman of Trump. "He gave cover, as you said, to a leader who knew very well what was going on with Otto Warmbier. And again, I don't understand why the President does this. I am disappointed, to say the least, that he did it."*

Poor Trump. Unfairly maligned because he is too darning stupid to speak in public. Any other half-way competent could’ve answered the question while neither throwing the Warmbier’s under the bus nor attacking the other side over it. But no, incompetence...

"I love Otto and think of him often!"

Ugh...of course Trump doesn’t. The cravenness of this man is nauseating.