Otto Warmbier's parents speak out against Trump's 'excuses' and 'lavish praise' for Kim Jong Un

Otto Warmbier's parents are pushing back after President Trump said he believes that North Korea's Kim Jong Un wasn't responsible for his death.

Fred and Cindy Warmbier said in a statement on Friday that "Kim and his evil regime are responsible for the death of our son" and for "unimaginable cruelty and inhumanity." They added that "no excuses or lavish praise can change that."

Although they do not reference Trump by name, the excuses and praise they're referring to came from the president, who on Wednesday said he believes Kim when he says he didn't know about the American student being tortured in a North Korean prison camp, which led to his death.

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"He tells me that he didn't know about it, and I take him at his word," Trump said of Kim. Read Fred and Cindy Warmbier's full statement 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.