Trump makes Navalny's death all about himself

It’s taken four days, but Donald Trump has finally acknowledged the death of former Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny.

But while other world leaders blamed Vladimir Putin’s government and pointed to Navalny’s death as a sign of Russia’s fast deteriorating freedoms, Trump managed to make it about himself.

The ex-president said Navalny’s death was a linked to “radical left politicians, prosecutors and judges” in the US.

Trump is facing multiple criminal charges later this year, and was last week ordered to pay more than $350m on fraud charges.

He posted: “The sudden death of Alexei Navalny has made me more and more aware of what is happening in our Country.

“It is a slow, steady progression, with CROOKED, Radical Left Politicians, Prosecutors, and Judges leading us down a path to destruction.

“Open Borders, Rigged Elections, and Grossly Unfair Courtroom Decisions are DESTROYING AMERICA.

“WE ARE A NATION IN DECLINE, A FAILING NATION! MAGA2024.”

Navalny was widely seen as a figurehead of the resistance against Putin’s regime, and his death in an Arctic prison was widely interpreted as a sign of Russia’s slide into being even more repressive.

Trump, who has frequently praised Putin, had faced criticism over the weekend for not addressing Navalny’s death, despite making several public appearances in the meantime.

His eventual comments on Navalny’s death came just minutes after his rival for the Republican presidential nomination, Nikki Haley, appeared on Fox News to criticise Trump.

She said: “It’s amazing to me how weak in the knees [Trump] is when it comes to Putin, because you look at the fact, he has yet to say anything about Navalny’s death… All he does is go on late-night rants, talking about his court cases.”

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