Though the Washington Post said it couldn't confirm whether the bill was ever paid, the revelation that North Korea had sent the Treasury a $2 million bill for American college student Otto Warmbier's medical care led some to speculate that the US may have paid a hefty ransom to secure Warmbier's release after he had lapsed into a coma from which he never recovered.

The parents of Warmbier, who died within six days of returning to the US, said the bill sounded suspiciously like a ransom. But in a Friday morning tweet, President Trump insisted that the bill was never paid, despite an American negotiator's assurances to the North Korean government that the US would make good on the debt.

In the tweet, Trump contrasted his regime's hard-line no ransom policy to the Obama administration's willingness to pay thinly disguised ransoms to the Iranian government and the Afghan Taliban to secure the release of American prisoners, including "traitor" Sgt. Bergdahl.

No money was paid to North Korea for Otto Warmbier, not two Million Dollars, not anything else. This is not the Obama Administration that paid 1.8 Billion Dollars for four hostages, or gave five terroist hostages plus, who soon went back to battle, for traitor Sgt. Bergdahl! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 26, 2019

Then, Trump touted his skills as a hostage negotiator, reminding his audience that 20 American hostages have been released since his inauguration, and that no money had ever been paid.