WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump said Friday that he and first lady Melania Trump hosted the family and friends of former hostage Otto Warmbier at the White House last weekend. 

The president said 25 people were invited last Saturday to honor Warmbier. His parents say their son was tortured by North Korea after being convicted of trying to steal a propaganda poster and imprisoned for months. The 22-year-old suffered severe brain damage and died days after being returned to the U.S. in a vegetative state in 2017. 
 
Trump said previous officials should have moved faster to get him released. He said that when it comes to getting hostages back home, the U.S. must move very quickly, and in the case of Warmbier, it was too late. 
 
North Korea denied mistreating Warmbier.