On Sunday, former basketball star Dennis Rodman talked with ABC’s George Stephanopoulos about his new friendship with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and his questionable human rights practices, writes Politico.
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Asked by Stephanopoulos about Kim’s threats to the destroy the United States, and his family’s horrendous record on human rights, Rodman said: “I don’t condone that. I hate the fact that he’s doing that. … I didn’t talk about that. …I saw people respected him, his family. … “[He’s] only 28 — 28. He’s not his dad. He’s not his grandpa. He is 28 years old. … He’s very humble. He’s a very humble man. … He don’t want war – that’s one thing he don’t want. … He loves power. He loves control, because of his father, you know – stuff like that. But he’s just — he’s a great guy. He’s just a great guy. You sit down and talk to him.”
Pressed by Stephanopoulos on the 200,000 people in North Korean camps, Rodman said: “We do the same things here.”
Stephanopoulos: “It sounds like you’re apologizing for him.”
Rodman: “No, I’m not apologizing for him. … He was a great guy to me. He was my friend. I don’t condone what he does. But as a person to person, he’s my friend. … What I did was history. … He’s a friend to me. That’s about it.”
Read more at Politico.
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