GOP rivals criticize Trump for congratulating Kim Jong Un on WHO inclusion.

Republican Presidential Hopefuls Criticize Trump for Congratulating Kim Jong Un

A number of Republican presidential hopefuls criticized former President Donald Trump on Saturday for congratulating North Korean leader Kim Jong Un over his country’s appointment to the World Health Organization’s executive board.

North Korea’s appointment to the WHO’s executive board has sparked outrage from member states, especially South Korea, as the Kim regime is in near-constant violation of the United Nations’ charter. Dr. Jong Min Pak, who leads the North Korean Ministry of Public Health, will now have a say in determining the WHO’s agenda and policy prescriptions as a voting member of the UN organization.

Republican Hopefuls Speak Out

Former Vice President Mike Pence, who is set to launch his 2024 presidential bid on Wednesday, spoke out against Trump’s congratulatory message, saying, “Whether it’s my former running mate or anyone else, no one should be praising the dictator in North Korea — or praising the leader of Russia, who has launched an unprovoked war of aggression in Ukraine.”

Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) and former Gov. Nikki Haley (R-SC), both of whom are major 2024 GOP hopefuls, also condemned Trump’s comment. DeSantis said, “I think Kim Jong Un is a murderous dictator. The World Health Organization is a bankrupt organization, like Kim Jong Un’s bad but then joining that. We need to be getting out of that and rejecting the WHO lockdown treaty, not congratulating [anyone] about being involved in the WHO.” Haley added, “You don’t congratulate a thug. He’s terrible to his people, he’s terrible to our allies in the world, and I don’t think he deserves congratulations.”

Former Gov. Asa Hutchinson (R-AR), a Trump critic who entered the presidential race in April, also criticized the former president’s congratulations in a tweet on Saturday, saying, “Kim Jong-Un, the tyrant dictator in North Korea should not be praised by Donald Trump for a leadership role in the World Health Organization.”

Trump’s Unusual Approach to North Korea

Trump’s approach to relations with the North Korean leader was unusual in comparison with most of his recent predecessors. He met with Kim three times during his four years in office, becoming the first sitting U.S. president to set foot on North Korean soil, and the two exchanged what Trump referred to as “love letters.” However, the two also publicly feuded, especially when Kim would threaten to use his nuclear weapons on the United States.

Trump has not yet responded to the criticism from his fellow Republican presidential hopefuls.