Footage of President Trump returning the salute of a North Korean general at Tuesday’s historic summit in Singapore went viral on social media Thursday after it was aired by the state TV in the rogue nation.
Part of a video package documenting North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s meeting with Trump, the tape shows the president reaching out to shake the hand of a general from the Hermit Kingdom. The general, instead, salutes Trump before the president returns the gesture.
Twitter users, including former Pentagon and CIA spokesman George Little, were quick to suggest that conservative political pundits would be outraged by the images had it been former President Barack Obama rather than Trump.
[Also read: Obama’s Iran negotiator was ‘taken aback’ by one particular sight at Trump and Kim’s meeting]
The President of the United States saluted a North Korean general. Where’s the outrage, Republican Party? https://t.co/ghtJTp1Lev
— George Little (@georgelittledc) June 14, 2018
Little was a communications aide under both the George W. Bush and Obama presidencies.
Other Twitter pundits recalled the anger sparked when Obama “bowed” to a Japanese robot in 2014 and saluted while holding a coffee cup in New York, again in 2014.
Trump saluted a North Korean military officer and the footage is now being run on state television
REMINDER: The right-wing freaked out when Obama “bowed” to a Japanese robot. pic.twitter.com/5KiXhdxwSy
— Judd Legum (@JuddLegum) June 14, 2018
A five-time draft dodger who calls avoiding STDs his “personal Vietnam” and disses Gold Star families wants a military parade but one time Obama saluted while holding a coffee cup so shut your traps libtards pic.twitter.com/ZFrBiqv8ac
— shauna (@goldengateblond) February 7, 2018
The White House did not immediately respond to the Washington Examiner‘s request for comment.
Watch the whole North Korean video below:
North Korean TV has aired its first footage of the #TrumpKimSummit. Look out for the handshake/salute confusion 55 seconds in. pic.twitter.com/JS5yEUprgz
— BBC Monitoring (@BBCMonitoring) June 14, 2018
