Following the recent death of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny in an Arctic penal colony, former President Donald Trump made his first public mention of Navalny in a social media post that focused on his own legal troubles rather than the tragedy at hand. While President Joe Biden and other Western leaders have pointed fingers at Russian President Vladimir Putin for Navalny's demise, Trump's post on Monday morning took a different direction.
In his post, Trump portrayed himself as a victim and continued to criticize the state of the nation, highlighting issues such as crooked politicians, rigged elections, and unfair courtroom decisions. He made no mention of Putin or Navalny's family, drawing immediate denunciation from his political rivals.
Trump's post comes amidst his ongoing legal battles, including a recent court order to pay $355 million in penalties in a civil fraud trial. He is also facing criminal charges in multiple investigations, with the first trial scheduled for next month.
His rivals, including Nikki Haley, criticized Trump for not condemning Putin and failing to acknowledge Navalny's courage. Haley accused Trump of siding with Putin, whom she described as a dictator who has eliminated his political opponents.
Trump's history of reluctance to denounce Putin has been a point of contention, with past instances of him questioning U.S. intelligence agencies' findings on Russian interference in the 2016 election. His recent comments on NATO and Russia have also sparked controversy.
Navalny's widow has accused Putin of being responsible for her husband's death and criticized the lack of transparency in the investigation. Russian authorities have stated that the cause of Navalny's death is still unknown and under investigation.
Trump's reference to Navalny's 'sudden death' in his post was met with skepticism, especially after reports that prison officials initially cited 'sudden death syndrome' as the cause. Navalny had been imprisoned since January 2021, following his recovery from a nerve agent poisoning that he attributed to the Kremlin.
