NYT: State Dept., National Security Council Surprised By Duterte Invite

US President Donald Trump speaks with the King of Saudi Arabia, Salman bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud in the Oval Office of the White House, January 29, 2017, Washington, DC. Credit: Aude Guerrucci / Pool via CNP - NO WIRE ... US President Donald Trump speaks with the King of Saudi Arabia, Salman bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud in the Oval Office of the White House, January 29, 2017, Washington, DC. Credit: Aude Guerrucci / Pool via CNP - NO WIRE SERVICE - Photo by: Aude Guerrucci/picture-alliance/dpa/AP Images MORE LESS
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Officials at the State Department and the National Security Council were caught off guard by President Donald Trump’s Saturday decision to invite Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte to the White House, the New York Times reported on Sunday.

Per the New York Times:

Two senior officials said they expected the State Department and the National Security Council, both of which were caught off guard by the invitation, to raise objections internally.

Trump invited Duterte to the United States during a Saturday call with the leader of the Philippines.

Duterte’s leadership in the Philippines has led to a spike in extrajudicial killings, making Trump’s invitation to Duterte controversial. Democrats quickly criticized Trump for the move.

White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus defended the invitation on Sunday and said that the White House wants to “encourage” Duterte “to do better.”

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Notable Replies

  1. Donald J. Trump, ever the dickhead!

  2. Avatar for jsfox jsfox says:

    Why should they be surprised? Duterte and leaders like him are roll models and heroes to Trump

  3. The State Department needs to get on board with the “strongman love”

  4. Looks like Trump has a new hero. I can here him now, “President Duterte is a man who knows how to lead!”

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