Trump keeps praising international strongmen, alarming human rights advocates
Its no longer just Vladimir Putin.
As he settles into office, President Trumps affection for totalitarian leaders has grown beyond Russias president to include strongmen around the globe.
Egyptian President Abdel Fatah al-Sissi has had his opponents gunned down, but Trump praised him for doing a fantastic job. Thailands Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha is a junta chief whose military jailed dissidents after taking power in a coup, yet Trump offered to meet with him at the White House. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has eroded basic freedoms, but after a recent political victory, he got a congratulatory call from Trump.
Then theres the case of Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte. He is accused of the extrajudicial killing of hundreds of drug users, and he maligned President Barack Obama as a son of a whore at an international summit last year. Yet on Sunday, in what the White House characterized as a very friendly conversation, Trump invited Duterte to Washington for an official visit.