Warmbeir's home-state senator: 'We can't be naive about what they did to Otto'

[mystery-ak]

Warmbeir's home-state senator: 'We can't be naive about what they did to Otto'
By Alexander Bolton - 02/28/19 04:11 PM EST

Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) on Thursday warned the Trump administration not to be “naïve” about the “brutal nature” of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s regime after President Trump said he believes Kim didn’t know about the mistreatment of Ohio native Otto Warmbier.

“I want to make clear that we can never forget about Otto. His treatment at the hands of his captors was unforgiveable and it tells us a lot about the nature of the regime,” Portman said on the Senate floor.

“We can’t be naïve about what they did to Otto, about the brutal nature of the regime that would do this to an American citizen,” he said.

Warmbier was arrested in North Korea in January of 2016 for allegedly stealing a propaganda poster and was sentenced to 15 years of hard labor. He was released to the United States in June of 2017 while in a vegetative state, which North Korean officials blamed on botulism, and died soon after.

Trump told reporters in a Thursday press conference that he doesn’t think Kim was responsible for Warmbier’s severe treatment, which resulted in extensive brain damage.

“I don’t believe he knew about it,” Trump said after meeting with Kim at a bilateral summit in Vietnam. “He tells me that he didn’t know about it, and I will take him at his word.”

Portman on Thursday warned that the nation must not forget about Warmbier or fail to hold North Korea accountable.

more
https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/432097-gop-senator-pushes-back-on-trumps-defense-of-kim-jong-un-in-death-of-otto

[TomSea]

I'm surprised there was not some sort of investigation into this. Then, we might not be opining about what happened but have an educated guess.

[edpc]

I'm surprised there was not some sort of investigation into this. Then, we might not be opining about what happened but have an educated guess.

The parents didn’t want an autopsy.

[edpc]

"We have been respectful during this summit process. Now we must speak out. Kim and his evil regime are responsible for the death of our son Otto. Kim and his evil regime are responsible for unimaginable cruelty and inhumanity. No excuses or lavish praise can change that. Thank you," Fred and Cindy Warmbier said in a statement provided to CNN. 

https://www-m.cnn.com/2019/03/01/politics/otto-warmbier-family-trump-north-korea/index.html?r=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cnn.com%2F