Two of my least favorite people in the entire world met just a few days ago. President Trump and Philippine President Duterte met on Sunday to discuss U.S.-Philippine relations. The two have often been compared to one another due to their strong “I don’t give a fuck” personalities and their dislike of former President Obama. According to the Washington Post Article, the two discussed the “sour point” of U.S.-Philippine relations during the Obama administration, they discussed development of Trump Tower in Manila, and they ridiculed the press together. One thing they didn’t talk about according to Duterte’s spokesperson (but not White House Press Secretary Sanders) was Duterte’s immense human rights violations regarding his extrajudicial killings.
During their meeting, protesters outside carried anti-America signs which included Hitler-esque photos of Trump.
Reporters at the meeting seemed to have hit a brick wall according to the New York Times: “journalists shouted questions about whether Mr. Trump would press Mr. Duterte on human rights, the Philippine president quickly silenced them.” Duterte seceded this calling the press spies, followed by a “hearty laugh” from Trump.
It was extremely alarming earlier in the year when President Trump praised Duterte in a call they had back in May-telling him what a great job he was doing on his drug war. Now, it is brutally more alarming that they have met in person and seem to have taken a creepy liking to each other. Duterte has claimed to kill dozens of people-and many of these people have been journalists. Their blossoming relationship may not limit our freedom of speech to the point of government killings, but the two have definitely taken pointers from one another.
Free Press Free Speech 
Yes! This president has broken so many norms that it is often easy to lose our sense of outrage at each one. Whatever the US’s foreign policy failings (and there have been MANY), we at least gave lip service to ideas of freedom, democracy, and the rule of law. We have claimed (at times- ironically) to be champions of human rights abroad. To see the President of the United States embrace dictators (from Putin to Duterte) is terrifying. He has embraced dictators and strong men and signaled to the world that the United States will look the other way when it comes to human rights abuses. Coupled with the administration’s brutal stance on refugees, the President of the United States is sending a signal to the dictators of the world that they are free to slaughter as they choose; The US will neither condemn them nor help their fleeing victims.
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