Ex-Pentagon official wallops Trump for amplifying North Korean propaganda during ‘solemn’ Japan event

Evelyn N. Farkas, the former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Russia/Ukraine/Eurasia for the Department of Defense, told MSNBC on Monday that President Donald Trump was encouraging foreign adversaries to interfere with the 2020 elections.

During his visit to Tokyo, which included a meeting with the newly enthroned Emperor Naruhito, Trump quoted North Korean state-run media's assessment that former vice president Joe Biden is a “low IQ individual.”

"I have confidence that Chairman Kim will keep his promise to me, & also smiled when he called Swampman Joe Biden a low IQ individual, & worse. Perhaps that’s sending me a signal?" Trump tweeted.

"It's so unseemly. First of all, this visit is a solemn occasion. He's marking the ascension of a new emperor to the throne and the fact that they invited the American president [is very serious.] President Trump understands it’s a big deal. He’s down playing it, almost taking away from the solemnity of the occasion by these ridiculous tweets," Farkas said.

She also told MSNBC that North Korea was trying to interfere with the 2020 presidential election -- and Trump was encouraging it.

"We don’t want other countries interfering in our elections, either overtly by insulting candidates or how the Russians did it with social media hacking and disseminating information, etc. I think it’s very bad that he’s encouraging other countries to involve themselves in U.S. domestic politics. And he’s taking the side of this brutal dictator, Kim Jong Un -- he doesn’t need to go that far."