Donald Trump is under fire from Republicans for praising North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un after his country joined the Executive Board of the World Health Organization.
“Congratulations to Kim Jong Un!” Writing on Truth Social, the former president misspelled his name while sharing news of the admission.
The post drew immediate condemnation from GOP presidential candidates and party leaders in the state — including his top rival in 2024 Ron DeSantis.
Asked about the post at an Iowa campaign event on Saturday, the Florida governor said: “I was surprised to see that. I mean, one, Kim Jong Un is a murderous dictator.”
Mr DeSantis noted that North Korea recently sentenced a family with a baby boy to life in prison – before he turned his conviction over to the World Health Organisation.
“The WHO is a bankrupt organization,” he said. “Like, Kim Jong-un sucks but joining that, we need to get out of that, reject the WHO ban treaty and not be congratulated for participating in the WHO.”
Nikki Haley, Trump’s former ambassador to the United Nations and another 2024 opponent, also chided Trump.
“Kim Jong Un is starving his people,” Ms Haley said he said on Twitter.
“It is a complete farce that North Korea has a leadership role in the World Health Organization.”
Georgia Governor Brian Kemp books“Taking back our country from Joe Biden doesn’t start with congratulating North Korea’s murderous dictator.”
Kim Jong Un starves his people.
It is a complete farce that North Korea has a leadership role in the WHO.
– Nikki Haley (@NikkiHaley) June 2, 2023
Former Republican Governor of Maryland Larry Page scoffed too Mr. Trump: Kim Jong Un is an enemy of America and a threat to peace and freedom. The fact that Trump delusionally believes otherwise makes him a useful Chinese idiot and unfit to be president.”
Trump famously had a warm relationship with Kim during his one-term presidency, lavishly praising the 39-year-old despot and becoming the first sitting US leader to visit the isolated communist country.
He even boasted of exchanging “love letters” with Mr. Kim, who frequently threatens the US and its allies with nuclear attack.
Others pointed out the privacy of their relationship.
“Fanboying a murderous dictator while spelling his name wrong is very special to him,” actor Mark Hamill wrote on Twitter.
Donald Trump congratulated Kim Jong Un on North Korea’s accession to the WHO’s governing board
(News agency)
Dr. Jung Min-bak this week became the first North Korean official to be appointed to a three-year term on the Executive Board of the World Health Organization.
“What this means is that one of the most horrific systems in the world is now part of a group that sets and enforces standards and rules for the global governance of healthcare,” said UN Watch Executive Director Hillel Neuer. he said in a statement.
“It’s a vicious circle for a major UN agency in dire need of introspection and reform.”
Other countries joining the Executive Board include Australia, Barbados, Cameroon, Comoros, Lesotho, Qatar, Switzerland, Togo and Ukraine.
Several recent appointments of serial perpetrators of human rights violations to leadership positions in international organizations have also faced condemnation.
Russia took charge of the UN Security Council in April, while Iran chairs the UN Human Rights Council’s Social Forum for 2023.
A South Korean lawmaker said this week that Kim is obese and suffers from severe insomnia and alcoholism.
“Lifelong food lover. Avid beeraholic. Zombie fanatic. Passionate travel practitioner.”