The White House is facing fresh criticism following an invitation President Trump extended over the weekend to controversial Philippine leader Rodrigo Duterte, who has been accused of numerous human rights violations in his southeast Asian country. White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer said Monday the president is “fully briefed on leaders” and that when Trump speaks with leaders “he gets briefed on what they’re doing, done.”Democratic lawmakers quickly slammed Trump for first praising and then inviting Duterte to the White House. “President Trump weakens American values when he fails to stand up for human rights,” Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., said in a written statement Monday. “President Duterte has overseen the illegal killing of thousands of his own people in the Philippines. Rep. Eliot Engel, D-N.Y., in a statement, said Trump's invitation was "unnecessary" for addressing the North Korea threat.

Source: Fox News May 01, 2017 17:59 UTC