Wait, What? Trump Now Thinks Country He Once Maligned Is 'Fantastic' Because Its Leader Flattered Him
Donald Trump has shifted his position on Pakistan, a country he called "a very, very vital problem" during his presidential campaign, based apparently on a brief congratulatory phone call from its leader.
"Pakistan is a very, very vital problem for us, because they have a thing called nuclear weapons," Trump told CNN's Anderson Cooper in a GOP Town Hall during the campaign.
Apparently, he's done an about-face, a fact that the media found about in a rather unconventional way.
On Monday, Pakistan's government published apparent excerpts from a phone call with Pakistan’s prime minister, Muhammad Nawaz Sharif, who had called President-elect Trump to congratulate him.
"Now governments typically release summaries of conversations with foreign leaders, but this release appears to be quotes from Trump," CBS News correspondent Jamie Yuccas noted.
"You are a terrific guy," Trump allegedly told Sharif. "You are doing amazing work, which is visible in every way."
Trump also called Pakistan "a fantastic country, a fantastic place of fantastic people."
Pakistanis are "amazing," said Trump. "And all the Pakistanis I have known are fantastic people."
"The Pakistani government release did not use quotation marks, so it is unclear if all the quotes are exact," Yuccas also noted.
The Trump campaign has not yet responded to the network's request for comment.
