‘We should reject this’: Ron DeSantis blasts Trump for praising ‘murderous dictator’ Kim Jong Un after North Korea wins seat on WHO board
- Florida Governor Ron DeSantis railed against Donald Trump for congratulating North Korea on being named to WHO board
- Trump published an article criticizing the WHO for granting the country a position on the board – but ignored the content to praise Kim Jong Un
- “I was surprised to see that,” DeSantis told reporters in Iowa on Saturday.
Ron DeSantis is the latest 2024 candidate to slam Donald Trump for his warm words towards North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un – bolstering his rhetoric against the former president.
Trump congratulated Kim in a Truth Social article on Friday for North Korea’s nomination to the board of the World Health Organization. He linked in the post to an American Greatness story that criticized the WHO post, but ignored the premise of the article to congratulate Kim, whom he called a friend.
“I was surprised to see that,” DeSantis told reporters in Iowa on Saturday when asked about the post.
The Florida governor called Kim a “murderous dictator” for putting an entire family, including a baby, in prison for life – and railed against the World Health Organization in general.
“The World Health Organization is a bankrupt organization,” he lamented. ‘Like, Kim Jong Un is bad, but then join this?’
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis railed against Donald Trump for congratulating North Korea on being named to WHO board
“We have to get out of this and reject the WHO lockdown treaty, and not congratulate ourselves on being involved in the WHO,” he added.
Trump, in his continued admiration for the authoritarian leader, posted on his social media site: “Congratulations Kim Jung (sic) Un.”
The article he linked to, however, criticized North Korea’s entry into the WHO because of the country’s repeated human rights abuses under Kim and his family’s decades of leadership.
News came last week that Dr Jong Min Pak from North Korea’s Ministry of Public Health will join and serve on the WHO’s board until 2026.
Trump is the clear favorite for the 2024 Republican presidential primary, with DeSantis in second place — by at least 20 points in most polls.
DeSantis avoided directly criticizing the former president before officially launching his campaign two weeks ago, but has now begun to launch attacks on Trump and say he was not effective enough in the executive branch. .
On Truth Social, Trump spends much of his time railing against DeSantis, calling him “Rob DeSanctimonious” and making unsubstantiated allegations against the Florida governor.
DeSantis wasn’t the only one to criticize Trump for his warm words for Kim.
Trump posted congratulations to authoritarian North Korean leader Kim Jong Un with a post criticizing the WHO for granting the country a board position
Former Trump No. 2 Mike Pence and his former United Nations ambassador Nikki Haley, who is also a 2024 presidential candidate, have spoken out against the ex-president.
“This is a time when we need to make it clear to the world that we stand for freedom, and we stand with those who stand for freedom,” former Vice President Pence said as he is expected to launch a presidential candidacy within weeks. coming.
“You don’t congratulate a thug,” Haley told Fox News. ‘I mean, let’s keep this in mind – This thug threatened America. He has threatened our allies time and time again. It’s not something to play with.
“He’s a terrible individual. He’s terrible to his people. He’s terrible to our allies around the world. And I don’t think he deserves any kudos,” the former South Carolina governor added.
