President Donald Trump appeared to confuse Western liberalism with U.S. West Coast cities that are liberal-leaning at the G20 Summit in Osaka, Japan on Saturday. A reporter asked Trump to comment on Russian President Vladimir Putin’s assertion during the summit that Western liberalism is “becoming obsolete.” Trump answered that Los Angeles and San Francisco are “sad to look at” because they are “run by a group of liberal people.” What Putin was referring to was the political ideology in Western countries that emphasizes democracy, market economies, and individual liberty.
Earlier this week, Putin said that Western liberalism has “outlived its purpose” and that it conflicts with “the interests of the overwhelming majority of the population.” On Saturday at the G20 Summit, he followed up by saying that Trump's election victory was driven by public dismay with mainstream liberal policies. The Russian leader added that while “liberal ideas remain attractive as a whole,” election results show that people want change.
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