'Absolutely shameful': Trump slammed for asking Yazidi activist Nadia Murad 'You had the Nobel Prize?'
President Donald Trump is under fire — this time, for video of an exchange with Yazidi activist and Nobel Peace Prize winner Nadia Murad, who visited the White House on Wednesday to ask for America’s help in saving her people, an oppressed Iraqi ethnic minority group. Critics online are slamming Trump for his seeming indifference to her pleas for help, and for only showing interest in why she won the Nobel Peace Prize.
“Nadia Murad tells the president of the United States her heartbreaking story of having to survive genocide and mass rape and violence but Trump shows no compassion, interest or empathy, and only wants to know how and why she won a Nobel Prize. Sigh,” journalist Mendi Hasan tweeted.
Nadia Murad tells the president of the United States her heartbreaking story of having to survive genocide and mass rape and violence but Trump shows no compassion, interest or empathy, and only wants to know how and why she won a Nobel Prize. Sigh. https://t.co/HcMff534kP
— Mehdi Hasan (@mehdirhasan) July 19, 2019
In circulating footage of Trump’s brief meeting with Murad and other survivors of religious persecution, Murad pleads with Trump to help the Yazidi people return home after a mass genocide at the hands of ISIS.
After explaining the conflict between the Kurdish and Iraqi government that has prevented the Yazidis from returning to their homeland, Trump asks Murad to repeat the details of the struggle again.
“But ISIS is gone?” Trumps questions, interrupting Murad. “Now it’s Kurdish and who?”
Murad clarifies who is involved and appears frustrated at reiterating why she and other Yazidi people need help, “If I cannot go to my home and live in a safe place and get my dignity back, it’s not about ISIS,” the 26-year-old activist tells Trump. “It’s about I’m in danger. My people cannot go back.”
When explaining the mass genocide of the Yazidi people, including the murder of her own mother and six brothers, Trump interrupts her yet again to ask where her family members are now. Incredulous, Murad replies, “They killed them. They are in the mass grave in Sinjar.”
Trump then turns away from Murad as she once again pleads for American aid, “I’m still fighting just to live in safety. Please do something.”
After the president says he will “look into it very strongly,” he then asks her to explain how she got the Nobel Prize in the first place — an honor he believes he deserves for his work on North Korea and Syria.
“And you had the Nobel Prize? They gave it to you for what reason? Maybe you can explain,” Trump asked Murad, who reluctantly explains.
People have now been taking to Twitter to call Trump “shameful” for the lack of compassion shown towards Murad throughout their meeting. Some were critical of Trump’s body language, including how he repeatedly turned his back on the Yazidi activist, simply nodded without making eye contact, and interrupting her to clarify things she had already stated.
“This man lacks any capacity for empathy or feeling for the suffering of other human beings. Look this woman in the f***ing eye dude,” one user tweeted. “She doesn't care about her Nobel Prize you asshole, she wants to go back home and keep her people safe. Outlandish.”
Nadia Murad tells President Trump her mother & six brothers were killed. He responds, “where are they now?” She again says they were killed. He turns away & grunts.
His final response is not “I’m sorry” or encouragement, he asks how he can win the Nobel.pic.twitter.com/ohu5qFjSrl— Rev. Travis Akers (@travisakers) July 19, 2019
Trump's body language as this woman speaks emotionally of her torment displays complete disinterest. When she mentions she has a Nobel Prize however, he practically turns into Homer Simpson: "OOOH you have a SHINY?!" https://t.co/VUJunHCAnn
— Jonathan Pie (@JonathanPieNews) July 19, 2019
Critics also point out that, despite being seemingly disinterested throughout their conversation, Trump appears fixated on how she won the Nobel Peace Prize, and appeared to know nothing about Murad before meeting with her.
“Nadia Murad tells President Trump her mother & six brothers were killed...,” one user tweeted. “His final response is not ‘I’m sorry’ or encouragement, he asks how he can win the Nobel.”
However, users were quick to shut down Trump’s aspirations for the prestigious honor, including actress Rosanna Arquette.
“Well there is one thing we can be sure of Donald trump will Never receive the Nobel peace prize he so covets,” Arquette tweeted.
Well there is one thing we can be sure of Donald trump will Never receive the Nobel peace prize he so covets.
— Rosanna Arquette (@RoArquette) July 19, 2019
I don't think he was even listening to her. He only remembered that his staff said she won the Nobel prize he craves so he can finally feel like the black president isn't better than him.
— Joy Reid (@JoyAnnReid) July 19, 2019
.@realDonaldTrump Why not get briefed before you meet with Nobel Prize winners, you fucking buffoon?
— John Levenstein (@johnlevenstein) July 19, 2019
Although Murad, 26, gave the president a very terse explanation of her activism, Murad did not convey the horrors or bravery of the journey that earned her the prestigious award: After ISIS kidnapped her and 6,500 Yazidi women and children, Murad became a sex slave who was raped on a daily basis. She escaped from ISIS in November 2014, and has since made it her mission to lobby world leaders to recognize — and condemn — how sexual assault and rape are used as weapons of war around the world, and to fight for the safety of the Yazidi.
A recent documentary by RYOT (which shares parent company Verizon Media with Yahoo), On Her Shoulders, follows Murad’s tireless work to bring “ISIS before the International Criminal Court on charges of genocide and crimes against humanity.” The activist was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2018, along with Congolese doctor Denis Mukwege, becoming the first Iraqi person and the second-youngest honoree to take home the prestigious award.
“For after all this happened to me I didn’t give up. This was the first time a woman from Iraq got out and she spoke about what happened,” Murad told Trump of why she was awarded the Nobel. “I escaped but I don’t have my freedom yet.”
See more reactions to Trump’s meeting with Nadia Murad below:
“Tell the nice people about your prize and why you got it, sweetheart.”
.
“I was raped and didn’t quit. I got out and spoke about it.”
.
“That’s nice, honey. I’ll look into it. Pretty strongly. “— Minty (@msdayvt) July 19, 2019
What’s really appalling is the look on his face after she explains this to him. Then, when she’s done, he cheerfully pipes up “and you got a Nobel Prize?” The pained look on her face when he chirps that is hard to watch. He simply lacks the part of the brain capable of empathy.
— Walter Shaub (@waltshaub) July 19, 2019
This man lacks any capacity for empathy or feeling for the suffering of other human beings. Look this woman in the fucking eye dude. She doesn't care about her Nobel Prize you asshole, she wants to go back home and keep her people safe. Outlandish. #UnfitForOffice https://t.co/FMhGk7F0qj
— Canon Manley (@CanonManley) July 19, 2019
All @realDonaldTrump reacted to was why she received the Nobel Prize. No empathy, no respect for what others are going through, it's
absolutely shameful. https://t.co/OzCagVkhRj— Carol Walker (@mom49of3) July 19, 2019
This man is a fucking joke.. she’s talking about how dangerous her country is and how it’s not safe and instead of trying to help he’s talking about a Nobel prize and why they give it to her
This is America’s president https://t.co/hNeMKCAqaC— KAYMA🌸KEMAH (@kaymaballah) July 19, 2019
I think people are missing the worst part of this exchange, which isn’t that he’s fixated on her winning a Nobel prize, but it’s his obvious indifference and inattention to the more horrifying details of her story and her pleas to ‘do something’pic.twitter.com/ei6XqJvSrt
— Rachie B (@GetFuktHoosier) July 19, 2019
The president, who has made it clear he thinks he should get a Nobel Peace Prize, meets someone who has won that prize: pic.twitter.com/rX4ULJhRhA
— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) July 19, 2019
Nadia Murad tells President Trump her mother & six brothers were killed. He responds, “where are they now?” She again says they were killed. He turns away & grunts.
His final response is not “I’m sorry” or encouragement, he asks how he can win the Nobel.pic.twitter.com/ohu5qFjSrl— Rev. Travis Akers (@travisakers) July 19, 2019
Nadia Murad won the Nobel Prize for her horrific struggle with ISIS-the same ISIS Trump uses to scare his base. His reaction to her is a combo of jealous over a prize he wants and not really listening distain.
"They gave it to you for what reason?" pic.twitter.com/9xHWHZwVJG— Amee Vanderpool (@girlsreallyrule) July 19, 2019
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