WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump praised the Philippines’ president for an “unbelievable job” in a fight against illegal drugs that has left thousands dead and drawn condemnation from American lawmakers, according to a leaked transcript of their telephone conversation last month.
Trump’s discussion with Rodrigo Duterte is likely to reinforce the impression that Trump is sidelining human rights concerns in his foreign policy. Trump has met with several authoritarian leaders since taking office in January, offering few critiques of their records on democracy, the rule of law and protecting essential freedoms.
The transcript of the April 29 call was first posted by The Washington Post. It is marked confidential and is contained under a cover sheet from the Philippine Foreign Ministry. Neither the Philippine government nor the White House verified the transcript, but they didn’t dispute its contents either.
It also shows the leaders discussing the North Korean threat, with each referring to the North’s ruler, Kim Jong Un, as a “madman.” Trump revealed the U.S. had two nuclear submarines in the region.
