Watch Trump shrug when Fox News reminds him Kim Jong Un 'is a killer' who's 'clearly executing people'


Fox News anchor Bret Baier sat down with President Trump aboard Air Force One on his way back from meeting North Korea's Kim Jong Un in Singapore, and about halfway through their conversation, which aired on Fox News Wednesday night, Baier gently reminded Trump that Kim is a brutal dictator whose country works and starves thousands of political prisoners to death in labor camps, among other horrific human rights abuses.
"You call people sometimes 'killers,'" Baier told Trump. "You know, he is a killer. I mean, he's clearly executing people." Trump said "he's a tough guy" and reiterated his argument that Kim inherited the country from his father at a young age. "So he's a very smart guy, he's a great negotiator, but I think we understand each other," Trump said. "But he's still done some really bad things," Baier interjected. Trump wasn't swayed: "Yeah, but so have a lot of other people done some really bad things."
Along with his "whataboutism to normalize dictatorial brutality," as New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman put it, Trump also talked about his admiration for President Xi Jinping — "He's an incredible guy. You know, essentially president for life. That's pretty good" — and why he wants Russian President Vladimir Putin allowed back in the G7: "If Putin were sitting next to me and we were having dinner, I could say, 'Would you do me a favor?' ... I could ask him to do things that are good for the world." You can watch the entire interview at Fox News.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

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 for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
Book reviews: 'The Thinking Machine: Jensen Huang, Nvidia, and the World’s Most Coveted Microchip' and 'Who Is Government? The Untold Story of Public Service'
Feature The tech titan behind Nvidia's success and the secret stories of government workers
By The Week US
-
Mario Vargas Llosa: The novelist who lectured Latin America
Feature The Peruvian novelist wove tales of political corruption and moral compromise
By The Week US
-
How to see the Lyrid meteor shower
The explainer A nice time to look to the skies
By Devika Rao, The Week US
-
DHS chief Kristi Noem's purse stolen from eatery
Speed Read Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem's purse was stolen while she dined with family at a restaurant in Washington, D.C.
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
Trump stands by Hegseth amid ouster reports
Speed Read The president dismissed reports that he was on the verge of firing Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth over a second national security breach
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US
-
Hegseth reportedly shared war plans in 2nd group text
Speed Read The defense secretary sent information about an attack in Yemen to a Signal group chat that included his wife and brother
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
Judge threatens Trump team with criminal contempt
Speed Read James Boasberg attempts to hold the White House accountable for disregarding court orders over El Salvador deportation flights
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US
-
Biden slams Trump's Social Security cuts
Speed Read In his first major public address since leaving office, Biden criticized the Trump administration's 'damage' and 'destruction'
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
El Salvador refuses to return US deportee
Speed Read President Nayib Bukele of El Salvador said he would not send back the unlawfully deported Kilmar Ábrego García
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
Trump says electronics tariff break won't last
Speed Read The tariff exemptions on smartphones, laptops and other electronic devices are temporary, the administration says
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
Man charged in arson attack on Pennsylvania's Shapiro
Speed Read Governor Josh Shapiro and his family were sleeping when someone set fire to his Harrisburg mansion
By Peter Weber, The Week US