Donald Trump reportedly just invited the Philippines' America-hating president to the White House

President-elect Donald Trump has reportedly invited Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte — the man who told President Obama to "go to hell" and threatened to "break up" with America — for a meeting at the White House next year, Reuters reported Friday, citing an aide to Duterte. The Philippine president's special adviser Christopher Go said the invitation came during a "very engaging, animated" phone call between Trump and Duterte that lasted "just over seven minutes."

Duterte has already expressed enthusiasm about Trump's victory, and said he does not "want to quarrel anymore" now that Trump will be assuming office. Duterte's relationship with the U.S. has been rocky recently, after Obama suggested he would question Duterte's campaign against the drug trade that has left thousands dead. "Son of a b-tch, I will swear at you," Duterte responded, prompting Obama to cancel their meeting.

A "source" indicated last week to Reuters that Trump will approach his relationship with Duterte with a "clean slate." "He is perfectly capable of talking to Duterte in an open way without being wedded to previous policy failures," the individual told Reuters. "If anyone is going to be able to right the ship, it's someone with Mr. Trump's profile."

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

Even before news broke of Trump's conversation with Duterte, The New York Times reported that the president-elect's "freewheeling phone calls with foreign leaders" had "unnerved diplomats at home and abroad." So far, he has praised the president of Kazakhstan, who The Times described as "one of the world's most durable despots," expressed interest in visiting the "fantastic country" of Pakistan, and seemingly blown off the British prime minister.