Donald Trump’s on and off flirtations with brutal North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un are some of the oddest and most distasteful elements of the travesty he calls his presidency. He has heaped fawning praise on the murderous potentate and received no tangible results in the process, succeeding only in boosting Kim’s international presence in the process.
Recently, it emerged that Kim’s half-brother Kim Jong Nam — who appears to have been assassinated by his own government with nerve gas in 2017 — may have been in contact with the CIA. While he was living outside North Korea and apparently had little influence within his infamously secretive home nation at the time, it would make sense that the United States would be interested in gleaning any information they could from him. North Korea is in a lot of ways a black box of oppression, a prison kingdom that starves and abuses its citizens in order to maintain the iron gripped control of the Kim regime.
Given the authoritarian cruelty and nuclear capabilities of the country, it’s in America’s best interests to learn everything it can about the goings on above the 38th parallel. Donald Trump doesn’t seem to agree though.
While speaking to reporters today, Trump bragged about a “beautiful letter” he received from the dictator and addressed the story about Kim Jong Nam working with the Central Intelligence Agency, dismissing it not only as untrue but as something he would never allow.
“I saw the information about the CIA with respect to his brother or half-brother and I would tell him that would not happen under my auspice that’s for sure. I wouldn’t let that happen under my auspices,” Trump stated.
Once again, we find the President of the United States bending over backward to accommodate a foreign strongman. It’s certainly possible that he is lying, but it’s also possible he was completely unaware that the CIA was working with Kim’s half-brother in the first place given the fact that he rarely reads his presidential briefings.
In either case, it’s beyond unacceptable for him to be publicly siding with a foreign adversary over the intelligence gathering efforts of the CIA. For the sake of your own sanity, try not to imagine how different conservatives would react if a Democratic president behaved in such a shameful and dangerous manner.
Trump is clearly more interested in prompting flattery from Kim than is he in keeping America safe, adding one more reason to the incredibly long list of why he is unfit to be president.
Fascinating backstory. Trump gets asked abt report that Kim Jong Un's brother was a CIA source. Kim Jong Nam was assassinated in 2017 by North Korea. Trump responds by pledging to Kim that he won't let the CIA do that "under my auspices." cc @benjaminwittes @MaxBoot @ColinKahl pic.twitter.com/UbGoWyYwX0
— Josh Marshall (@joshtpm) June 11, 2019
Twitter users were less than pleased with the president’s weakness.
Folks will be focused on Trump's criticism of Joe Biden today, but don't miss the president promising Kim Jong Un that he won't let the CIA use informants against him. pic.twitter.com/acXJMKKeww
— Abby D. Phillip (@abbydphillip) June 11, 2019
Don't let the inanity of Trump's "beautiful letter" comment cause you to miss the big news here: Trump took Kim Jong Un's side against the CIA. https://t.co/4DNFAJIGUW
— Benjamin Wittes (@benjaminwittes) June 11, 2019
Trump sided with Putin over our own Intelligence officials. Now he sides with Kim Jong un over our own CIA.
And Republicans applaud. https://t.co/TdJiVDsZaO
— Joe Walsh (@WalshFreedom) June 11, 2019
Trump pledges to Kim Jong Un that he won't allow the CIA to spy on him, expresses regret that CIA had relationship with Kim's brother who Kim had murdered in Malaysia https://t.co/lZPgV7svoU via @TPM
— Josh Marshall (@joshtpm) June 11, 2019
We’re more concerned that Trump indicates he would stop the @CIA from using an asset to learn information about a hostile foreign government. Traitor.
— MOTR Politics (@MOTRPolitics1) June 11, 2019
WTF Mr President? “I see that, and I just received a beautiful letter from Kim Jong Un,” Trump said. “I think the relationship is very well, but I appreciated the letter. I saw the information about the CIA with regard to his… https://t.co/rS5MjWMary
— Claudia Powell (@PowellClaudia) June 11, 2019
Trump may look like an idiot and talk like an idiot, but don't let that fool you. He really is an idiot.
Trump promises Kim Jong Un protection from CIA spying https://t.co/N7Wi5t2b93
— Lily (@assinthevalley) June 11, 2019
CAN WE FIND A WAY TO RID AMERICA OF THIS SCOURGE?????
Trump promises Kim Jong Un protection from CIA spyinghttps://t.co/S0fNzv12Mq— Resu59 (@Resu59) June 11, 2019
Of course Trump thinks that the CIA recruiting a high-level asset in the innermost circle of a murdering, autocratic leader is a bad thing. https://t.co/fy355EF7KF
— Polly Sigh (@dcpoll) June 11, 2019
Throwing his own intel team ( and our natsec) under the bus again – @realDonaldTrump pledges not to let @CIA engage assets because … he loves Kim? https://t.co/e4F4w5SXkt
— Sam Vinograd (@sam_vinograd) June 11, 2019
