LIVE: RNC kicks off with Sen. Tim Scott, Nikki Haley and Donald Trump Jr. by Yahoo! News 1 min read The 2020 Republican National Convention kicked off Monday, with President Trump formally accepting the GOP presidential nomination. The four-day convention — which was originally supposed to take place in-person in Jacksonville, Fla., before the coronavirus crisis struck — will be held in limited-capacity venues in Charlotte, N.C., the Trump International Hotel in Washington, D.C., and at the White House. Eschewing political norms, Trump is expected to speak in primetime each night. Other speakers on night one include Sen. Tim Scott, Reps. Steve Scalise, Matt Gaetz and Jim Jordan, former U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley, Charlie Kirk, Donald Trump Jr., and Mark and Patricia McCloskey, the St. Louis couple who pointed guns at Black Lives Matter protesters who walked past their home.
Tune in here beginning at 9 p.m. ET.
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Tonight’s lineup
Here in the list of speakers for RNC night one, in the order they are scheduled to appear:
• Timothy Cardinal Dolan, archbishop of New York
• Charlie Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA
• Rebecca Friedrichs, public school teacher
• Tanya Weinreis, small business owner whose coffee shop qualified for a loan under the Paycheck Protection Program
• Representative Matt Gaetz
• Kim Klacik, Republican congressional nominee
• Ronna McDaniel, chair of the Republican National Committee
• Amy Johnson Ford, nurse practitioner
• Dr. G.E. Ghali, surgeon
• Representative Jim Jordan
• Herschel Walker, former NFL player and businessman
• Natalie Harp, Trump campaign advisory board member
• Vernon Jones, Georgia state representative
• Andrew Pollack, father of Meadow Pollack, who was killed in the 2018 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School
• Mark and Patricia McCloskey, St. Louis couple who pointed guns at Black Lives Matter protesters
• Kimberly Guilfoyle, Trump campaign fundraiser and girlfriend of Donald Trump Jr.
• House Republican Whip Steve Scalise
• Sean Parnell, Republican congressional nominee
• Maximo Alvarez, founder of Sunshine Gasoline
• Nikki Haley, former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations
• Donald Trump, Jr., oldest son of President Trump
• Senator Tim Scott
Homeowners who pointed guns at protesters praise Trump at RNC
Mark T. and Patricia N. McCloskey, the armed homeowners who pointed their guns at protesters in St. Louis, Missouri, denounced the Black Lives Matter demonstrators, calling them „radicals.”
„These radicals are not content with marching in the streets,” Mark said of protesters. „They want to walk the halls of Congress. They want to take over. They want power. This is Joe Biden’s party.”
„President Trump will defend the God-given right of every American to protect their homes and their families,” he added. Read more.
Armed homeowners Mark T. and Patricia N. McCloskey stand in front their house along Portland Place as they confront protesters marching to St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson’s house Sunday, June 28, 2020. (Laurie Skrivan/St. Louis Post-Dispatch/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
Father of school shooting victim speaks on first night of RNC
Andrew Pollack, whose daughter was killed during the Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in 2018, spoke on the first night of the Republican National Convention and praised President Trump’s response to the shooting.
„After my daughter’s murder, the media didn’t seem interested in the facts. So I found them myself. I found that gun control laws didn’t fail my daughter — people did,” Pollack said.
„I truly believe the safety of our kids depends on whether this man is reelected,” Pollack added of Trump.
(Republican National Convention via Reuters TV)
Democrat speaks at RNC: ‘We are free people with free minds’
Georgia State Representative Vernon Jones, „a lifelong Democrat,” spoke on the first night of the Republican National Convention.
„You may be wondering, “Why is a lifelong Democrat speaking at the Republican National Convention? That’s a fair question. And here’s your answer: The Democratic Party does not want Black people to leave the mental plantation they’ve had us on for decades. But I have news for them: We are free people with free minds,” Jones said.
(Republican National Convention via Reuters TV)
Former NFL player and ‘Apprentice’ contestant: ‘Racism… isn’t Donald Trump’
Former NFL player and „Apprentice” contestant Herschel Walker defended President Trump, saying racism „isn’t Donald Trump.”
„It hurts my soul to hear the terrible names that people call Donald,” Walker said. „The worst one is ‘racist.’ I take it as a personal insult that people would think I would have a 37-year friendship with a racist. People who think that don’t know what they are talking about. Growing up in the deep south, I have seen racism up close. I know what it is. And it isn’t Donald Trump.”
(Republican National Convention via Reuters TV)
Registered nurse defends Trump’s COVID-19 response
Amy Johnson Ford, a registered nurse who was deployed to New York and San Antonio, Texas, during the coronavirus pandemic, defended President Trump’s COVID-19 response.
„Let me be clear so that the media cannot twist my personal story to fit their narrative,” Ford said. „As a health care professional, I can tell you without hesitation, Donald Trump’s quick action and leadership saved thousands of lives during COVID-19. And the benefits of that response extend far beyond coronavirus.”
(Republican National Convention via Reuters TV)
RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel: ‘Unlike Joe Biden, President Trump didn’t choose me because I’m a woman’
Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel took shots at last week’s Democratic National Convention.
„If you watched the DNC last week, you probably noticed that Democrats spent a lot of time talking about how much they despise our President, but we heard very little about what they actually plan to do.”
She also took direct aim at Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden.
„Unlike Joe Biden, President Trump didn’t choose me because I’m a woman – he chose me because I was the best person for the job,” McDaniel said.
(Republican National Convention via Reuters TV)
Kim Klacik: ‘Democrats still assume that Black people will vote for them’
Kim Klacik, the first Black female Republican candidate running for a Maryland Congressional seat, delivered a message on race on night one of the Republican National Convention.
„The Democrats still assume that Black people will vote for them, no matter how much they let us down and take us for granted,” Klacik said.
„The days of blindly supporting the Democrats are coming to an end.”
Klacik also spoke on America’s inner cities, encouraging Americans to „help me make Baltimore great again.”
„I want Baltimore to be an example to Republicans around the country that we can compete in our inner cities if we reach out to the citizens and deliver real results,” Klacik said.
„So, I’m asking you to help President Trump complete the Great American Comeback, and I’m asking you to help me make Baltimore great again,” Klacik added.
Kim Klacik speaks during the virtual Republican National Convention on August 24, 2020. (via Reuters TV)
Republican National Convention: Trump fights for re-election amid coronavirus, economic crises
President Donald Trump will make his case for re-election this week during the Republican National Convention.
He will formally accept the Republican nomination from the White House under much different circumstances than in 2016, when he made his acceptance speech in front of a massive crowd.
At the start of this election cycle, it seemed almost certain Trump would be campaigning on a strong U.S. economy. Then the COVID-19 pandemic changed everything.
In the beginning of 2020, Trump frequently touted the United States’ economic strength — pointing to the unemployment rate below 4% and a stock market setting records. “America is now the hottest economy anywhere in the world,” he said in January.
Throughout his first term, Trump has taken full credit for the U.S. economy, ignoring the economic growth of the President Obama years.
In 2017, with a Republican U.S. House of Representatives and Senate, Trump signed his signature tax cuts into law.
“I consider this very much a bill for the middle class and a bill for jobs,” he said as he signed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. “Jobs are produced through companies and corporations and you see that happening. Corporations are literally going wild over this.
While in office, Trump has publicly clashed with CEOs and businesses whose policies he doesn’t like. He’s gone after Amazon, Twitter, GM and many others. Most recently, he called for the boycott of Ohio-based tire manufacturer Goodyear. He repeatedly attacked Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell and pressured the Fed to cut interest rates.
Trump declared himself “a tariff man” and used the tariffs as a negotiating tactic, often despite opposition from many within his own party and the business community. “I love properly-put-on tariffs,” he said earlier this month in Ohio.
Trump made good on a 2016 campaign promise to negotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement. The newly branded United States Mexico Canada Agreement (or USMCA) earned the support of labor groups and Corporate America alike.
In January, he also signed the Phase 1 trade deal with China, but only after a trade war that resulted in tariffs on hundreds of billions of dollars in goods that hurt U.S. businesses and farmers.
Roughly seven months later, the United States’ relationship with China is as rocky as ever. Trump frequently blasts the Chinese government over its handling of the coronavirus.
“I don’t want to deal with them now. With what they did to this country and to the world, I don’t want to talk to China right now,” said Trump earlier this month.
As the coronavirus continues to plague the United States, voters will judge Trump on his handling of the virus he downplayed for months. More than 170,000 Americans are dead, the unemployment rate is at 10.2% as millions remain out of work, and small businesses are going under as the wealthiest nation in the world continues to be battered by the virus.
Boosted by trillions of dollars in stimulus, U.S. stocks have bounced back from their March lows. Trump insists his administration is handling the virus well, often using the stock market as a measure of success.
The president is making the case that he is the only candidate who can bring the economy back, but Democrats argue the United States can’t afford four more years of Donald Trump.
Jessica Smith is a reporter for Yahoo Finance based in Washington, D.C. Follow her on Twitter at @JessicaASmith8.
Pence helped secure 2nd term with Trump by reportedly remaining ‘relentlessly positive’ on coronavirus
How did Vice President Mike Pence secure President Trump’s trust in a historically tumultuous administration? Very, very carefully.
Over the past four years, Pence has done everything he can to avoid blocking Trump’s spotlight, allies and administration officials tell The Washington Post. That „durable and close” relationship secured Pence’s spot on Trump’s 2020 ticket, one Pence ally said — but also reportedly came at the expense of the advice Pence delivered Trump on coronavirus.
As the head of America’s COVID-19 response, Pence has delivered „detailed instructions for governors about how they can request federal resources and assistance,” and „gone out of his way to compliment” them in a very un-Trumpian manner, the Post writes. But some aides also say Pence has „painted a ‘relentlessly positive’ picture” of the virus to Trump, perhaps harming his coronavirus response, the Post continues. Dr. Anthony Fauci told the Post that Pence always gave Trump an „optimistic” view of the virus, but that didn’t stop him from presenting „darker” news when necessary.
Beyond his positive coronavirus spin, Pence’s allies maintain he has never stepped beyond his current duties to imply he’ll seek the presidency in 2024. That political future is uncertain anyway because, as one Republican operative told the Post, „Who do you talk to who’s fired up for Mike Pence?” And if 2020 doesn’t work out, it’s even more clear Pence is headed for the „markdown bin,” allies say. Read more about what’s next for Pence at The Washington Post.
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Trump says Democrats trying to ‘steal’ election in RNC acceptance speech
WASHINGTON — In an event that seemed more like a campaign rally than a convention, President Trump used his speech accepting the Republican presidential nomination to make unfounded accusations about electoral security, relitigate the 2020 Democratic presidential primary contest and muse about a presidential ticket made up of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln campaigning on a liberal platform in Texas.
“This is the greatest scam in the history of politics,” Trump said at one point during his remarks, in reference to plans by millions of Americans to vote by mail in November’s presidential election.
It was far from the event Trump had imagined, with the coronavirus pandemic having largely frustrated his plans for a celebratory Republican National Convention. He had intended to move part of the convention to Jacksonville, Fla., but called that plan off after cases of COVID-19 surged in Florida earlier this summer.
And so the president arrived in Charlotte, N.C., on Monday to deliver the first of what are slated to be several speeches he plans to make during the RNC. He will make his main speech on Thursday evening. Monday’s remarks came after, as expected, Trump easily surpassed the 1,276 delegate endorsements needed to secure the nomination.
“I just tell it like it is,” he said in a freewheeling speech that included a number of misstatements, exaggerations and insinuations.
“Your American Dream will be dead,” he said of a potential Democratic victory, referring specifically to judicial appointments, which have been a hallmark of his own administration. Trump celebrated those appointments, as well as his tax cut for corporations and wealthy individuals. He did not, however, offer much substance on what a second Trump term might look like.
A significant portion of his speech focused on unfounded accusations that voting by mail will result in widespread fraud that will help his Democratic opponent, former Vice President Joe Biden.
“The only way they can take this election away from us is if this is a rigged election. We’re gonna win this election,” Trump said, describing what he said were record levels of enthusiasm for his presidency. In fact, more than half of Americans disapprove of the job he is doing.
And yet Trump has continued to assert that Democrats can win only by cheating, which he charges they intend to do by engaging in systematic mail fraud. Fraud is infrequent when it comes to voting by mail, which many people may prefer to do in the midst of a pandemic.
“What they’re doing is using COVID to steal an election,” Trump said in Charlotte, referring to COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, which has killed about 176,000 Americans. “They’re using COVID to defraud the American people — all of our people — of a fair and free election.”
Studies have shown that one party does not benefit inordinately over the other from voting by mail.
That has not stopped Trump from making accusations that some believe could cause a loss of confidence in the November election. “They’re going to mail out 80 million ballots. It’s impossible, they have no idea. Who’s mailing them? Mostly Democrat states and Democrat governors.”
Contrary to that assertion, many Republican governors support and encourage voting by mail. Trump, a resident of Florida, votes by mail, as do many top officials in the White House.
Live: Republicans kick off presidential convention
The 2020 Republican National Convention kicks off Monday, with President Trump formally accepting the GOP presidential nomination.
Prominent Republicans throw weight behind Biden as Trump’s convention opens
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – More than two dozen former Republican U.S. lawmakers, including former Senator Jeff Flake, endorsed Democrat Joe Biden for president as the Republican National Convention opened on Monday, a rebuke to President Donald Trump by members of his own party.
The 27 former members of Congress joined a „Republicans for Biden” initiative organized by the Biden campaign to encourage Republican support for the Democrat, the Biden campaign said. They cited Trump’s „corruption, destruction of democracy, blatant disregard for moral decency, and urgent need to get the country back on course” as reasons for the move, according to a Biden campaign statement.
„I was a Republican long before the president ever called himself one, and I’ll be a Republican long after identifying as such is no longer useful to him,” Flake said in a 16-minute video explaining his decision to endorse Biden and vote for a Democratic presidential nominee for the first time.
„Given what we have experienced over the past four years, it’s not enough just to register our disapproval of the president. We need to elect someone else in his place, someone who will stop the chaos and reverse the damage.”
The former lawmakers are only the latest Republican group to endorse Biden and oppose Trump in the Nov. 3 election.
Separately, the Lincoln Project, one of the most prominent Republican-backed groups opposing Trump, said on Monday that former Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele had joined it as a senior adviser.
„The chair behind the Resolute Desk has always been bigger than any political party,” Steele said in a statement. „Sadly, we have witnessed its occupant devolve into preying upon fears and resentments with narcissism that nurtures only chaos and confusion. Leadership is needed now more than ever.”
On Sunday, one of the group’s co-founders, George Conway, and his wife, Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway, both stepped down from their political roles, citing a need to spend time with family.
Last week, 73 former Republican national security officials, including former chiefs of the FBI and CIA, endorsed Biden while calling Trump unfit to serve.
Opposition groups object to Trump’s alienation of U.S. allies abroad and his leadership at home, including his response to the coronavirus pandemic that has killed over 176,000 Americans.
The Trump campaign has described the groups as disaffected former officials „trying to take down the duly elected President of the United States.”
(Reporting by David Morgan; Editing by Scott Malone and Leslie Adler)
How to watch the 2020 Republican National Convention
This week, it’s the Republicans who are holding their four-day national convention, culminating in President Trump’s formal acceptance of the party’s nomination on Thursday night. He’ll speak on the South Lawn of the White House — after a few venue changes in the last couple of months stemming from the coronavirus pandemic.
Vice President Mike Pence will speak on Wednesday and first lady Melania Trump will speak on Tuesday.
CBSN will provide live coverage and analysis throughout the day, with full coverage beginning at 5 p.m. ET on „Red & Blue,” with Elaine Quijano. At 8 p.m. ET, tune in ahead of each night’s convention speakers and live coverage of the proceedings. CBSN coverage continues at 11 p.m. ET with post-convention analysis.
From 10-11 p.m. ET, CBS television stations will broadcast live coverage anchored by „CBS Evening News” anchor and managing editor Norah O’Donnell.
Download the free CBS News app for full CBSN coverage and live convention updates. CBSN streaming is available on all major platforms, including iOS, Android, Roku, Amazon, Apple, Samsung and Pluto.
How to watch the Republican National ConventionWhat: Republican National ConventionDate: Monday, August 24 through Thursday, August 27, 2020Convention coverage on CBSN: 5 p.m. ET, 8:00 p.m. ETConvention speakers live on CBSN: 8:30-11 p.m. ETConvention coverage on CBS television stations: 10-11 p.m. ETPost-convention coverage on CBSN: 11 p.m. ETOnline stream: Live on CBSN — in the player above and on your mobile or streaming device.
Elected officials who are expected to speak include Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, Senator Tim Scott, Senator Joni Ernst, and South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem, and Trump administration officials including Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley.
Others who are set to speak at the RNC include Donald Trump Jr.; Ivanka Trump; Mark and Patricia McCloskey, the St. Louis couple who were captured in a viral photo pointing guns at Black Lives Matter protesters; Alice Johnson, the grandmother pardoned by Mr. Trump after facilitation from Kim Kardashian West; Andrew Pollack, whose daughter Meadow was killed in the Parkland school shooting and Nick Sandmann, the Covington Catholic High School student featured in viral video.
Portions of the RNC will take place in Charlotte, where Mr. Trump was originally set to speak after receiving the nomination. On Friday night, multiple people were arrested during protests in Charlotte against the RNC, according to CBS affiliate WBTV.
The Democrats formally nominated Joe Biden and Kamala Harris last week.
Here is a look who is expected to speak each night at the Republican National Convention:
Monday speakers include:Timothy Cardinal Dolan, archbishop of New YorkCharlie Kirk, founder of Turning Point USARebecca Friedrichs, public school teacherTanya Weinreis, small business owner whose coffee shop qualified for a loan under the Paycheck Protection ProgramRepresentative Matt GaetzKim Klacik, Republican congressional nomineeRonna McDaniel, chair of the Republican National CommitteeAmy Johnson Ford, nurse practitionerDr. G.E. Ghali, surgeonRepresentative Jim JordanHerschel Walker, former NFL player and businessmanNatalie Harp, Trump campaign advisory board memberVernon Jones, Georgia state representative Andrew Pollack, father of Meadow Pollack, who was killed in the 2018 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High SchoolMark and Patricia McCloskey, St. Louis couple who pointed guns at Black Lives Matter protestersKimberly Guilfoyle, Trump campaign fundraiser and girlfriend of Donald Trump Jr.House Republican Whip Steve ScaliseSean Parnell, Republican congressional nomineeMaximo Alvarez, founder of Sunshine GasolineNikki Haley, former U.S. ambassador to the United NationsDonald Trump, Jr., oldest son of President TrumpSenator Tim ScottTuesday speakers include:First Lady Melania TrumpSecretary of State Mike PompeoSenator Rand PaulIowa Governor Kim ReynoldsFlorida Lieutenant Governor Jeanette NuñezKentucky Attorney General Daniel CameronFormer Florida Attorney General Pam BondiAbby Johnson, anti-abortion rights activistJason JoyceMyron Lizer, Navajo Nation vice presidentMary Ann Mendoza, mother whose son was killed by an illegal immigrantMegan PauleyCris PetersonJohn PetersonNicholas Sandmann, student who sued news outlets after confrontation with Native American activistEric Trump, son of Mr. TrumpTiffany Trump, daughter of Mr. TrumpWednesday speakers include:Vice President Mike PenceSecond Lady Karen PenceSenator Marsha BlackburnSenator Joni ErnstSouth Dakota Governor Kristi NoemRepresentative Dan CrenshawRepresentative Elise StefanikRepresentative Lee ZeldinRichard Grenell, former acting director of national intelligenceKellyanne Conway, White House counselorKeith Kellogg, national security adviser to the vice presidentJack Brewer, former NFL playerSister Dede Byrne, surgeon and military veteranMadison Cawthorn, Republican congressional nomineeScott Dane, executive director, Associated Contract Loggers & Truckers of MinnesotaClarence Henderson, civil rights activistRyan Holets, police officer known for adopting opioid-addicted babyMichael McHale, National Association of Police Organizations presidentBurgess Owens, former NFL player and GOP congressional nomineeLara Trump, Trump campaign adviser and wife of Eric TrumpThursday speakers include:President TrumpHUD Secretary Ben CarsonSenate Majority Leader Mitch McConnellSenator Tom CottonHouse Minority Leader Kevin McCarthyRepresentative Jeff Van DrewIvanka Trump, White House senior adviserJa’Ron Smith, White House assistantAnn Dorn, widow of former police officer killed in St. LouisDebbie FloodRudy Giuliani, former New York mayorFranklin Graham, evangelical leaderAlice Johnson, ex-inmate pardoned by Mr. TrumpWade MayfieldCarl and Marsha Mueller, parents of U.S. aid worker killed by ISISDana White, president of the Ultimate Fighting Championship{„@context”:”https://schema.org”,”@type”:”VideoObject”,”thumbnailUrl”:”https://cbsnews3.cbsistatic.com/hub/i/r/2019/06/21/cf422e24-1501-4289-95a4-8fdb9833c2ea/thumbnail/1200×630/b6ea51c1100568254685ce88e68608d5/logo-cbsn-1920×1080-new.jpg”,”embedUrl”:”https://www.cbsnews.com/live/”,”name”:”Live stream: How to watch the 2020 Republican National Convention”,”description”:”President Trump will accept the Republican party’s nomination for president on Thursday night at the South Lawn of the White House”,”contentRating”:”MPAA PG-13″,”videoQuality”:”720p”,”publication”:{„@type”:”BroadcastEvent”,”isLiveBroadcast”:true,”startDate”:”2020-08-24T11:00:00.000Z”},”uploadDate”:”2020-08-24T11:00:00.000Z”,”contentUrl”:”https://dai.google.com/linear/hls/event/Sid4xiTQTkCT1SLu6rjUSQ/master.m3u8″}
29-year-old Black man in Wisconsin hospital after being shot in the back by police
14 killed, 75 wounded in bomb attacks in south Philippines
MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Muslim militants allied with the Islamic State group set off a powerful motorcycle explosive followed by a suicide bombing that together killed 14 people on Monday, many of them soldiers, in the worst extremist attack in the Philippines this year, military officials said.
At least 75 soldiers, police and civilians were wounded in the midday bombings in Jolo town in southern Sulu province, regional military commander Lt. Gen. Corleto Vinluan said. The bombings were staged as the government grapples with the highest number of coronavirus infections in Southeast Asia.
Vinluan said most of the victims, including children, were killed and wounded in the first attack, when a bomb attached to a motorcycle exploded near two parked army trucks in front of a grocery store and computer shop in Jolo.
“It was a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device which exploded while our soldiers were on a marketing run,” Vinluan told reporters.
A second blast, apparently from a female suicide attacker, occurred about an hour later and killed the bomber, a soldier, a police commando and wounded several others, a military report said. It said the suspected bomber walked out of a snack shop, approached soldiers who were securing a Roman Catholic cathedral and “suddenly blew herself up.”
Snipers were deployed in the area to guard against more bombers as the victims were carried to an ambulance.
A third unexploded bomb was reportedly found in a public market. Jolo was immediately placed in a security lockdown by troops and police.
Presidential spokesman Harry Roque condemned the bombings “in the strongest possible terms.”
Initial pictures seen by The Associated Press showed soldiers carrying a man from the scene of the explosion near an army truck while another victim lay on the road. The wreckage of a motorcycle and body parts were seen on the road.
The first bombing was carried out near a town plaza and the cathedral in the predominantly Muslim and poverty-stricken province. The country’s southern region is home to minority Muslims in the largely Roman Catholic nation and has been the scene of decades of Muslim separatist unrest, particularly in remote island provinces such as Jolo.
Rumors about Kim Jong Un dying are going viral again, but experts say not to believe them
Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images
- Rumors are once again spreading that Kim Jong Un is dying, but experts say they’re unfounded.
- The rumor began on Friday after a former South Korean minister said he had on good authority that the North Korean leader was in a coma.
- Since then, the claim has been carried by several notable English-language news outlets, and is trending on Twitter.
- However, multiple experts have poured cold water on the issue, noting that Kim has been conducting his official duties as normal and highlighting the sketchy nature of the original source.
- Visit Business Insider’s homepage for more stories.
A wild rumor that North Korean despot Kim Jong Un is dying is once again spreading across social media but experts are saying not to believe them.
On Friday, Jang Sung-min, a former South Korean minister, said that an unnamed source in China had told him that Kim was „in a coma” but „his life has not ended,” according to the Korea Herald, a South Korean news outlet.
Speculation has abounded in the wake of the report, and social media has become abuzz with the rumor that Kim is dead or close to it. The Mirror and the New York Post both reported on the rumor that Kim was in a coma.
That fire has also been stoked by news that Kim’s sister, Kim Yo Jong, was recently given a slew of new official duties, including overseeing the country’s relationship with South Korea.
However, North Korea watchers, including academics and analysts, say the rumors about Kim Jong Un’s health are just that.
Alistair Coleman, a researcher at BBC Monitoring covering North Korea, said that the source of the rumor is sketchy.
„Former South Korean govt official, putting in a guess on the word of an unnamed source in China, going on to say that all recent Kim media appearances are forgeries. I’m not convinced,” he wrote on Twitter.
John Delury, a professor at Yonsei University in South Korea, also called the news item „random speculation” that was „informed by nothing in particular.”
