Donald Trump has claimed that Barack Obama and the US are loathed around the world, driving countries such as the Philippines into the arms of its adversaries. “The world hates our president,” Trump said Friday at a rally in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. “The world hates us. You saw what happened with the Philippines after years and years and years; they’re now looking to Russia and China, because they don’t feel good about the weak America.”
Obama cancelled a meeting with Rodrigo Duterte last month after the Philippines’ controversial new president appeared to call him a “son of a whore”. On Thursday Duterte declared “America has lost” and said it was China, the Philippines and Russia against the world. But in Manila on Friday, Duterte said he would not sever ties and it was in his country’s best interests to remain with the US.