Rick Santorum is furious over Trump's 'reprehensible' Otto Warmbier comments

Rick Santorum
(Image credit: Alex Wong / Getty Images)

President Trump coming to the defense of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un over the death of Otto Warmbier has left Rick Santorum fuming.

The former Republican senator told CNN on Thursday that although he's happy with Trump walking away from a deal at the Vietnam summit, his comments on the American student who died after being detained in North Korea were "reprehensible."

Trump had said that Kim did not know about Warmbier's treatment in a North Korean prison camp, which eventually led to his death, saying, "I don't believe that he would have allowed that to happen." Trump added that "He tells me that he didn't know about it, and I take him at his word."

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He shouldn't, Santorum said. "He gave cover … to a leader who knew very well what was going on with Otto Warmbier," Santorum said. "And I don't understand why the president does this. I'm disappointed to say the least that he did it." Watch Santorum's comments below. Brendan Morrow

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Brendan Morrow

Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.