While world leaders directly place the blame on Vladimir Putin for the death of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, former president Donald Trump did not outright condemn Putin. In fact, his statement posted on Truth Social was rather confusing and polarizing. Trump, who received backlash and criticism for his praise of Putin, did not say anything about Russia; it seems he is appropriating Navalny’s death with the current political landscape in the United States.
“The sudden death of Alexei Navalny has made me more and more aware of what is happening in our Country,” Trump wrote, “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!” How inconsiderate and disrespectful to compare yourself to a man who was killed for speaking out against the corruption in Moscow.
What does Navalny’s death have to do with Trump’s campaign? The European Union and President Biden have made their stance clear: Putin is responsible. For someone who is running for election in 2024 to not condemn the Kremlin is quite shocking, and rather dangerous. We need a president who will stand for America’s unwavering commitment to democracy and stand up for the oppressed. We must question Trump’s decision to say absolutely nothing about Russia, Putin, and Navalny’s mourning family. The call of an independent autopsy on Navalny’s body has been blocked by the Kremlin; why not return his remains to his family if there is nothing to hide? Likely because they are trying to cover up an assassination. Navalny was poisoned in a 2020 assassination attempt, and it appears that the Kremlin has finished the job.
Trump’s statement is rather nonsensical; the comparison of a suspicious death and apparent assassination to the current American political landscape seems irrelevant. Incredibly, Trump also stated that if he was reelected, he would encourage Russia to do “whatever the hell they want” to any NATO member country if they did not meet spending guidelines on defense.
The United States cannot elect a president that does not side against the oppressor. We cannot have a president who would encourage Russia to attack our allies if they did not meet pejorative spending requirements. This is not what America stands for.
