U.S. President Donald Trump took a swipe at the Philippines’ former administration while commending President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. during their meeting at the White House on Tuesday.
Although Trump didn’t name names, he made a pointed comparison between the current and former Philippine leadership, saying the previous administration “did not know what they were doing.”
“I think I can say that the last administration was not getting along with them too well. They didn’t get along with anybody,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. “Honestly, they didn’t know what they’re doing.”
The comment comes amid renewed efforts to strengthen U.S.-Philippine relations under Marcos Jr., following a rocky chapter during former President Rodrigo Duterte’s term, when Manila drifted toward Beijing and away from Washington. Duterte repeatedly challenged the decades-old defense alliance, even threatening to terminate key military agreements with the U.S.
Duterte’s foreign policy shift intensified after American officials criticized alleged human rights abuses tied to his controversial war on drugs. Tensions escalated further when the U.S. revoked the visa of Duterte ally Sen. Ronald Dela Rosa, prompting threats to scrap the Mutual Defense Treaty.
Now at the helm, Marcos Jr. has charted a different course, drawing closer to the U.S. and calling out China’s growing assertiveness in the West Philippine Sea. This pivot has not only been welcomed by Washington but also by the Filipino-American community.
Trump, who hosted Marcos Jr. with full honors, praised the Philippine leader as a “very respectable leader” and lauded his family’s legacy. “It’s a great honor to have President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. of the Philippines. Great family, great family legacy, and highly respected in his country,” Trump said. “There’s great respect or I couldn’t say it, so congratulations.”
The two leaders also underscored their countries’ strong military ties, highlighting recent joint drills and reaffirming defense cooperation. “We have some fantastic military relationships with the Philippines and that has been reinstituted,” Trump noted. “We’re going to be talking about trade. We’re going to be talking about war and peace.”
For his part, Marcos Jr. expressed gratitude for the continued partnership. “We must remember that the United States is our only treaty partner in the Philippines, and that has stood us in good stead over the years, certainly through the Second World War,” he said. “That is something that we value, that we are grateful for, and that we will continue to foster as we go on.”
