{"id":2531571,"date":"2026-01-08T16:04:02","date_gmt":"2026-01-08T21:04:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/petro-rejects-claim-he-knelt-for-trump-phone-call\/"},"modified":"2026-01-08T16:06:03","modified_gmt":"2026-01-08T21:06:03","slug":"petro-rejects-claim-he-knelt-for-trump-phone-call","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/petro-rejects-claim-he-knelt-for-trump-phone-call\/","title":{"rendered":"Petro rejects claim he &#8216;knelt&#8217; for Trump phone call"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">18<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fpetro-rejects-claim-he-knelt-for-trump-phone-call%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2531571&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Colombian President Gustavo Petro pushed back against critics who say he &#8220;knelt&#8221; before President Donald Trump after arranging a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/mike-kelly-same-people-criticizing-trump-peddled-russia-collusion-hoax\/\" title=\"Mike Kelly: Same People Criticizing ... Peddled Russia Collusion Hoax\">phone call<\/a> and an upcoming White House visit. petro credited Sen. Rand Paul with helping reestablish the conversation and said he used the call to discuss <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/white-house-releases-list-of-president-trumps-accomplishments-and-it-is-historic\/\" title=\"... Releases List of President ...\u2019s Accomplishments \u2013  And It Is Historic!\">drug trafficking<\/a>, venezuela, and a prior proposal for an alliance focused on respect between nations and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/biden-energy-secretary-pick-called-out-by-republicans-for-democrats-awful-record-on-green-jobs-video\/\" title=\"Biden Energy Secretary Pick ...ed Out By Republicans For Democrats\u2019 Awful Record On \u2018Green Jobs\u2019 (VIDEO)\">clean energy<\/a>. He argued dialog is preferable to conflict, rejected accusations that he humbled himself, and said &#8220;dialogue does not kneel.&#8221; The exchange follows a period of harsh public rhetoric between the two leaders-Petro has compared Trump to Nazis and accused him of other offenses, while trump has sanctioned Petro and warned him about U.S. intervention. Petro has also <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >faced domestic protests condemning perceived<\/a> U.S. military actions in the region.A White House meeting between Trump and Petro is planned, though no date has been announced.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Petro rejects claim he &lsquo;knelt&rsquo; for Trump phone call<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_2467049\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/foreign-policy\/4410815\/trump-meeting-colombia-gustavo-petro\/\">Colombian President Gustavo Petro<\/a> is rebuking his critics who accuse him of having &ldquo;knelt&rdquo; before President Donald Trump by speaking with him on the phone and arranging a visit to the White House.<\/p>\n<p>Petro <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/petrogustavo\/status\/2009272084925460694\">claimed <\/a><span style=\"box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;\"><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/petrogustavo\/status\/2009272084925460694\">on Thursday that<\/a>&nbsp;it was actually Sen. R<\/span>and Paul, the libertarian from Kentucky, who helped &ldquo;reestablish communication that, in reality, had never existed.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<div class=\"recommended-stories\">\n<h2>Recommended Stories<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/world\/4411679\/venezuela-commits-release-important-number-political-prisoners\/\">Venezuela commits to releasing &#8216;important number&#8217; of political prisoners<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/in_focus\/4410930\/time-trump-recognize-somaliland\/\">It&#8217;s time for Trump to recognize Somaliland<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/world\/4411069\/iran-reportedly-cuts-internet-as-anti-government-protests-swell\/\">Iran reportedly cuts internet as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/iran-reportedly-cuts-internet-as-anti-government-protests-swell-what-to-know\/\" title=\"Iran reportedly cuts internet as anti-government protests swell: What to know\">anti-government protests swell<\/a>: What to know<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>&ldquo;Senator Rand Paul managed to speak with President Donald Trump the day before yesterday and convinced Trump of a phone call with me, which I accepted, because I&rsquo;ve always been convinced since I was young that it&rsquo;s always better to dialogue to stop the violence.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Colombian President Gustavo Petro addresses supporters in a rally he called to protest comments by U.S. President Donald Trump, in Bogota, Colombia, Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026. (AP Photo\/Santiago Saldarriaga)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Petro said Trump &ldquo;responded courteously and allowed him to &ldquo;set out my points of view on two topics: drug trafficking and Venezuela.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>The <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/world\/3901150\/colombian-president-claims-trumps-venezuela-fight-about-oil-instead-of-drugs\/\">Colombian president<\/a> explained his perspective on narcotics trafficking, claiming that he has been working to combat the trade for decades. He also told Trump about a previous proposal he made under President Joe Biden to form an &ldquo;alliance based on respect for nations and clean energies [&hellip;] to prevent the climate crisis from ending in irreversible and deadly collapse for humanity.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I know that President Trump doesn&rsquo;t agree with me, but it&rsquo;s more convenient to start a dialogue about it than to settle it on battlefields,&rdquo; Petro concluded. &ldquo;Now we have to see the consequences of the reestablishment of diplomatic conversation.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>In the weeks leading up to Wednesday, Petro variously compared Trump to the Nazis and accused him of belonging to a clan of pedophiles. Trump, in turn, has <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/world\/3863822\/trump-sanctions-illegal-drug-dealer-colombian-president-gustavo-petro\/\">sanctioned Petro<\/a> and <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/4356299\/trump-colombian-president-watch-it-stolen-land-comments\/\">warned him<\/a> to &ldquo;watch his ass&rdquo; or else he could be the next victim of U.S. intervention.<\/p>\n<p>While the Colombian president has pivoted from saber-rattling to dialogue, not all of his countrymen are on the same page.<\/p>\n<p>Cities across the country have been flooded with protesters decrying the U.S. military action against Maduro and denouncing American imperialism.<\/p>\n<p>Some critics have accused Petro of bending the knee to Trump by accepting the opportunity to speak on the phone, a smear that seems to have gotten to the Colombian leader.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Supporters of Colombian President Gustavo Petro attend a rally he called to protest comments by U.S. President Donald Trump, in Bogota, Colombia, Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026. (AP Photo\/Santiago Saldarriaga)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>&ldquo;They say that I knelt, another lie. <span style=\"box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;\">They throw the stone and hide their hands,&rdquo; Petro&nbsp;<a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/petrogustavo\/status\/2009255825076789413\">said<\/a>&nbsp;of his critics.<\/span> &ldquo;No one from the M19 refuses dialogue; it is in dialogue where Peace is found. Dialogue does not kneel, the lie does.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p><strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/4406473\/trump-could-take-action-cuba-colombia-venezuela\/\">TRUMP SIGNALS HE COULD TAKE ACTION ON CUBA, COLOMBIA, AND OTHER COUNTRIES AFTER VENEZUELA<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;M19&rdquo; refers to the 19th of April Movement, an insurgent guerrilla alliance in Colombia that Petro joined when he was a teenager. It later transformed into a political party before being absorbed into broader coalitions.<\/p>\n<p>Trump and Petro are <span style=\"box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;\">scheduled to&nbsp;<a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/foreign-policy\/4410815\/trump-meeting-colombia-gustavo-petro\/\">meet soon at the White House<\/a>, although an exact date has not yet been announced<\/span>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Petro denies &#8216;kneeling&#8217; to Trump after call<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3468,"featured_media":2531572,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/AP26008020145657.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651,538],"tags":[15918,3817,32319,65869],"class_list":["post-2531571","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","category-washington-examiner","tag-colombia","tag-diplomacy","tag-donald-trump","tag-gustavo-petro"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/AP26008020145657.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2531571","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3468"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2531571"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2531571\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2531576,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2531571\/revisions\/2531576"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2531572"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2531571"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2531571"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2531571"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}