The Dalai Lama, in a wide-ranging interview published Thursday by the BBC, criticized President Trump, saying he has a “lack of moral principle.”
The Tibetan spiritual leader highlighted Trump withdrawing from the Paris climate accord, his “America First” policies and the handling of migrant children seeking asylum as issues that he disagrees with, according to BBC.
{mosads}”When I saw pictures of some of those young children, I was sad,” he told the BBC. “America … should take a global responsibility.”
The BBC reports the Dalai Lama’s critique of Trump is a flip from the spiritual leader’s remark in 2016 that he had “no worries” about Trump as president.
“When he became president he expressed America first. That is wrong,” the Dalai Lama told the BBC.
He is less critical of Vice President Pence, according to the BBC, and noted the second in command’s support for the Tibetan people.
The Dalai Lama told the BBC Trump has not asked to meet with him, but the Dalai Lama is open to doing so. In the past, the Dalai Lama has had a relationship with presidents.
President George W. Bush presented the Dalai Lama with a Congressional Gold Medal, and President Obama met with him a number of times, the BBC reports.