Autocrats hear a clear message during Trump trip: U.S. will not 'lecture' on human rights
By Abby Phillip and David Nakamura May 22 at 10:26 PM
As President Trump travels abroad for the first time to set forth his administration’s foreign policy, he is also sending a clear message: Under his administration, concerns about human rights that U.S. presidents often carry with them will instead remain at the water’s edge.
In search of bigger deals on combating terrorism and curbing Iran’s influence in the region, Trump made it clear during his weekend speech in Saudi Arabia that the United States would not allow human rights concerns to bog down cooperation with authoritarian governments.
“We are not here to lecture,” Trump said Sunday before an audience of about 50 political leaders of Muslim nations, many of which are led by strongmen. “We are not here to tell other people how to live, what to do, who to be or how to worship. Instead, we are here to offer partnership, based on shared interests and values.”
During his nine-day trip to the Middle East and Europe, Trump is expected to emphasize the kind of “America first” posture that he has advocated for since the presidential campaign, one that prioritizes core U.S. economic and security interests over spreading democratic values abroad. Aides have insisted that Trump, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and other officials privately raised human rights concerns, and they point to the April release of an American aid worker in Egypt as evidence of the success of this quieter strategy.
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https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/autocrats-hear-a-clear-message-during-trump-trip-us-will-not-lecture-on-human-rights/2017/05/22/1c7328b4-3f0c-11e7-8c25-44d09ff5a4a8_story.html
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