Philippines president compares himself to Trump: ‘He really will kill you’

Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte, who has fueled outrage with his brutal drug war that has left thousands dead, sees a kindred spirit in President Trump.

Speaking in Doha, Qatar, Duterte heaped praise on his American counterpart, calling him “a realist and a pragmatic thinker.”

“Trump is profound even if he does not seem to be one. Just like me, I am not that bright but I am very deliberate,” Duterte explained.

“Have you seen his building? How can he be stupid?” Duterte added, referring to Trump Tower.

{mosads}Duterte pointed to the Trump administration’s rhetoric on stopping the illegal drug trade as evidence of the two leaders’ similarities.

“Look at his inaugural speech. He will stop drugs. Gago din! [A fool like me!] We’re not different. He will really kill you,” Duterte said.

He went on to say that Trump told him he was “doing it right” in his campaign against drugs in the Philippines. In the months since Duterte announced his policy, more than 6,000 have died in the ensuing violence.

The Filipino president seems to have a much higher regard for Trump than his predecessor, who was highly critical of his drug war. Duterte made headlines in 2016 when he said then-President Obama can “go to hell” and referred to the U.S. ambassador as a “gay” “son of a whore.”