Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte "is not a guy we want to empower," Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham told The Intercept.
Graham was responding to a question about a transcript that surfaced that purportedly revealed President Donald Trump praising Duterte for cleaning up the drug epidemic in the Philippines.
Duterte, who took office last June, has reportedly had thousands of drug dealers killed as a way to combat the distribution of illicit drugs.
"I disagree with the way he's carrying out the drug war. I disagree with the authoritarian manner with which he's running the country, but I don't know what the White House said or did, I wasn't there. But I can tell you my own view, this is not a guy we want to empower," Graham told the Intercept. "You just have to stand up for the rule of law."
The Intercept obtained and published the transcript of Trump's April 29 phone call with Duterte, which was apparently released by the Philippine government.
Trump told Duterte "you're a good man" and "you're doing an amazing job," according to the transcript.
During that same call, Trump also divulged to Duterte the presence of two U.S. nuclear submarines in Korean waters, and also called North Korean leader Kim Jong-un a "madman with nuclear weapons."
Trump also extended an invitation to Washington, setting off criticism from all sides.
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