Trump Says ‘I Love’ People Who Are ‘Nice To Me’ – ‘Even if They’re Bad People’

Screenshot via The White House

President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that he automatically loves people who are nice to him, claiming this held true “even if they’re bad people.”

The president spoke to supporters at a lunch event in the East Room held to celebrate Easter, where he was joined by most of his senior staff as well as several religious leaders. During his remarks, Trump appeared to notice a media figure in the crowd, stopping his discussion of the ongoing U.S. military operation in Iran to praise them for being “so nice” to him.

“They said, ‘What do you mean you have regine change?’ My friend, great show. I love this guy,” said Trump. “He’s so nice to me. Every time I watch, and I appreciate.”

Trump then claimed that he became loyal to those who were nice to him, despite general advice that people should not be “seduced that way.”

“You know we’re not supposed to be seduced that way, right? But I am,” he said. “When somebody’s nice to me, I love that person. Even if they’re bad people, I couldn’t care less. I’ll fight to the end for them.”

The president’s words echo a few key constants in his administration, from his staff’s fawning praise at cabinet meetings to the growing list of special awards he is frequently bestowed with. Even world leaders have taken to flattering the president as a tool to achieve their goals, with examples of the outcome for less obsequious figures possibly serving as a warning.

Trump’s comment about “bad people” strikes at another theme for his second term: the massive amounts of pardons issued to his supporters convicted of crimes. Chief among these are those convicted of fraud, over seventy of which have been pardoned by the president. These include allies, donors, and others who have gained Trump’s loyalty, despite the millions of U.S. dollars they were charged with stealing.

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