Trump Invites Controversial Philippine President To The White House
- 7 years ago
President Trump has reportedly extended an offer to the controversial leader of the Philippines, President Rodrigo Duterte, to visit the White House.
President Trump has reportedly extended an offer to the controversial leader of the Philippines, President Rodrigo Duterte, to visit the White House.
The exchange occurred on Saturday during a telephone conversation in which the two men talked about North Korea, southeast Asian security, and the Philippine government’s battle against drugs, notes CNN.
The latter issue, in fact, has been lightning rod of criticisms against Duterte, with one human rights group estimating that his drug crackdown has resulted in the deaths of around 7,000 people.
The call between Trump and Duterte has been described by the White House as a “very friendly conversation.”
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the Philippine president said in a statement afterwards that “The discussion that transpired between the presidents was warm, with President Trump expressing his understanding and appreciation of the challenges facing the Philippine president, especially on the matter of dangerous drugs.”
Duterte seems to be more open to Trump than he was to former President Obama, whom he reportedly said should “go to hell” for rebuking his aggressive approach to drug users and dealers.
NBC News reports it is unknown when Duterte’s visit to the White House will happen, but Trump is scheduled to attend two Asia-related summits in the Philippines in November.
President Trump has reportedly extended an offer to the controversial leader of the Philippines, President Rodrigo Duterte, to visit the White House.
The exchange occurred on Saturday during a telephone conversation in which the two men talked about North Korea, southeast Asian security, and the Philippine government’s battle against drugs, notes CNN.
The latter issue, in fact, has been lightning rod of criticisms against Duterte, with one human rights group estimating that his drug crackdown has resulted in the deaths of around 7,000 people.
The call between Trump and Duterte has been described by the White House as a “very friendly conversation.”
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the Philippine president said in a statement afterwards that “The discussion that transpired between the presidents was warm, with President Trump expressing his understanding and appreciation of the challenges facing the Philippine president, especially on the matter of dangerous drugs.”
Duterte seems to be more open to Trump than he was to former President Obama, whom he reportedly said should “go to hell” for rebuking his aggressive approach to drug users and dealers.
NBC News reports it is unknown when Duterte’s visit to the White House will happen, but Trump is scheduled to attend two Asia-related summits in the Philippines in November.