Former US President Donald Trump is back with another outlandish claim.
Following a New York judge’s ruling in Trump’s fraud trial, which, in part, requires him to pay $355 million (£281 million) in fines, the former president effectively compared himself to Alexei Navalny, the late critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin, during a town hall with Fox News host Laura Ingraham.
Trump, who has previously praised Putin, argued that he is a victim of political persecution through his remarks on Navalny. Trump is currently in the middle of several notable legal troubles — two of which involve his efforts to overturn his loss in the 2020 election.
“And it’s a horrible thing, but it’s happening in our country, too,” Trump said, adding that the country is “turning into a communist country in many ways.”
“It is a form of Navalny,” Trump added. “It is a form of communism, of fascism.”
Navalny’s death is noteworthy because he fearlessly opposed Putin and the Kremlin. He died while in custody at a Russian penal colony, known as “Polar Wolf,” last week, and hundreds of people have been detained in protest since then.
After Navalny’s death, Trump posted his thoughts online while leaving out the claim from the critic’s allies that Putin may have played a role in Navalny’s death.
Republican strategist Alice Stewart called his response “stupid” and “self-serving.”
At least one other notable public figure has compared Trump and Navalny. Former Republican congressman Lee Zeldin drew ire for doing so on X, formerly Twitter, on Friday.