CINCINNATI (AP) – President Donald Trump says his view on North Korea’s role in an American college student’s death is being misinterpreted, while steering clear of citing that country’s leader.
Trump took to Twitter on Friday afternoon after a statement by the late Otto Warmbier’s parents contradicting him by blaming Kim Jong Un “and his evil regime.” A Trump tweet says: “Of course I hold North Korea responsible for Otto’s mistreatment and death.”
Trump praised the Warmbiers as “a tremendous symbol of strong passion and strength.”
Trump didn’t walk back his earlier comments that he took Un “at his word” that he wasn’t aware of how the Ohio young man was being treated during 17 months in captivity. Warmbier died soon after his 2017 release.
UPDATE: 3/2/19 10:10 a.m. – This article has been updated to include comments from the White House and Pres. Trump
White House counselor Kellyanne Conway said Friday that Trump blames North Korea for the alleged mistreatment of Otto Warmbier, while insisting the country’s leader didn’t know about it.
Fred and Cindy Warmbier rebuked Trump in a statement earlier Friday. After meeting with Kim this week, Trump had said he takes Kim “at his word” that Kim was unaware of the alleged mistreatment.
The Warmbiers say they remained silent during the Trump-Kim summit but “now we must speak out.”
Trump said of Kim following the failed summit: “He tells me that he didn’t know about it, and I will take him at his word.”
Conway said on “America’s Newsroom” on Fox News that Trump has “deep affection” for the Warmbiers, shares their grief and agrees North Korea is responsible.
She says Trump “is saying is that there’s no indication Chairman Kim knew what happened to Otto Warmbier when it happened.”
Trump has taken credit for freeing American prisoners abroad and used Warmbier’s death as a rallying cry against the North’s human rights abuses before softening his rhetoric before talks with Kim.
Warmbier, a University of Virginia student from Ohio, was sentenced to 15 years of hard labor in 2016 on suspicion of stealing a propaganda poster.
His parents say he was tortured.