“Fox & Friends” offered a charitable assessment of Kim Jong Un on Wednesday, suggesting that the reclusive North Korean dictator probably didn’t really like all the killing that came along with his job.
“The guy who wants to meet with Dennis Rodman and loves NBA basketball and loves western pop culture probably doesn’t love being the guy that has to murder his people all day long,” said co-host Pete Hegseth. “…Probably wants some normalization,” he added.
Hegseth — who was briefly considered to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs earlier this year — made the observation in response to a question from fellow co-host Ainsley Earhardt about why Kim was seeking a meeting.
“I think he wants a picture with the American president,” said Hegseth continuing his insights.
“He’s hungry,” said Fox News’ Steve Doocy.
Hegseth (for anyone keeping score) led the charge at “Fox & Friends” in February during the olympics when many media organizations published pieces comparing first daughter Ivanka Trump to Kim Jong Un’s sister Kim Yo Jong.
“The ‘Never Trump’, the hate Trump media will find every angle it can, it’s unbelievable,” he thundered on the show at the time.
The remarks received swift criticism online, with a bipartisan section of Twitter taking Hegseth to task for the Kim “just wants to fit in” analysis.
“In Kim Jong-un The Musical, the best number is his sad and introspective ballad lamenting the number of family members he had to murder,” offered Commentary Magazine’s Noah Rothman in a sarcasm drenched tweet.
In Kim Jong-un The Musical, the best number is his sad and introspective ballad lamenting the number of family members he’s had to murder. https://t.co/fyZ05YyfbY
– Noah Rothman (@NoahCRothman) May 23, 2018
From the same dummy who literally said “Meh” when confronted over the weekend with the possibility that some innocent people die in Gaza. https://t.co/Z1rS8867jc
– Andrew Kirell (@AndrewKirell) May 23, 2018
Kim Jong Un’s family members who he executed, the many thousands who have likely died of starvation in his gulags, the millions living in a prison state, and Otto Warmbier who he tortured & murdered — they’d all probably beg to differ. You know, if they hadn’t, um, been murdered. https://t.co/zJV2DAZZDF
– Jerry Dunleavy (@JerryDunleavy) May 23, 2018
I’m old enough to remember when Pete Hegseth was flipping out over some media outlets comparing Kim Jong Un’s sister to Ivanka Trump during the Olympics. https://t.co/L81O2aErOI
– Justin Baragona (@justinbaragona) May 23, 2018
“… probably doesn’t love being the guy that *has to murder his people* all day long.”
that’s some a+ material right there, chief. https://t.co/ssEhvTgs6n
– T. Becket Adams (@BecketAdams) May 23, 2018
“This is hurting me as much as it hurts you,” he said as he shackled the teenager to the fence of the prison labor camp https://t.co/K9gw0RXmaF
– Lachlan Markay (@lachlan) May 23, 2018
No one wants to be the guy that has to murder people all day but SOMEONE has to do it. https://t.co/SFFOM9zRHu
– Ben (@BenHowe) May 23, 2018
Hey @PeteHegseth, if the guy in charge doesn’t want to murder people all day long, he doesn’t have to.
Good Lord, man. https://t.co/Jlk3dq7Yq8
– Jay Caruso (@JayCaruso) May 23, 2018