Transcript for Warmbiers: Kim and 'evil regime' responsible for son Otto's death

We want to turn to politics and we move to the white house. President trump facing new backlash. The president seeming to anger the parents of Otto Warmbier who died after being in prison by the regime. The warmbiers issuing a blistering statement after the president defended Kim Jong-un over their son's death. Terry Moran is at the white house. Reporter: While president trump was enjoying his time with north Korean dictator Kim Jong-un in Hanoi -- I think very importantly the relationship is very strong. Reporter: -- Fred and Cindy Warmbier kept silent. Today, they broke that silence, declaring in an extraordinary statement -- "We have been respectful during this summit process. Now we must speak out." Their son, Otto Warmbier, arrested in North Korea in 2016 while on an adventure tour, paraded before cameras. His terrified, anguished confession -- Please! I made the worst mistake of my life. Reporter: -- A propaganda stunt by Kim. 17 months later, Otto Warmbier was dead, flown home in a coma after being brutalized in north Korean custody. In 2018, president trump invited the warmbiers to the state of the union and pointedly blamed Kim for their son's death. The dictatorship sentenced Otto to 15 years of hard labor, before returning him to America last June, horribly injured and on the verge of death. Reporter: But in Hanoi the president seemed to absolve the dictator. He felt badly about it. In those prisons and those camps you have a lot of people and some really bad things happened to Otto, some really bad things. But he tells me he didn't know about it, and I will take him at his word. Reporter: Today, the warmbiers were blunt -- "Kim and his evil regime are responsible for the death of our son Otto." And without mentioning the president, they rebuked him for his bromance with the dictator. He likes me, I like him. Some people say "Well, you shouldn't like him." I say "Why shouldn't I like him?" I like him. We get along great. Reporter: "Kim and his evil regime are responsible for unimaginable cruelty and inhumanity," the warmbiers said. "No excuses or lavish praise can change that." Terry Moran joins us from the white house. Terry, president trump responding to the Warmbier family saying he was misinterpreted, but his words were clear. They were. President trump has gushed about Kim Jong-un. He said literally we fell in love. He's insisting tonight that does not change his relationship with the warmbiers. He praised them and tweeted I love Otto and think of him often. Tom?

This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.