Trump breaks silence on the death of Alexei Navalny – sort of
Palm Beach, Florida - As he faces criticism for his notable silence on the matter, Donald Trump took to social media to finally speak out about the recent death of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny.
On Monday morning, the former president took to his Truth Social platform to finally share his reaction to Navalny's passing. But instead of addressing the controversy surrounding the activist's mysterious death, Trump focused on his own political turmoil.
"The sudden death of Alexei Navalny has made me more and more aware of what is happening in our Country," Trump lamented. "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," he added. "WE ARE A NATION IN DECLINE, A FAILING NATION! MAGA2024."
Navalny, who was serving a 19-year sentence in a Siberian prison colony, died last Friday after reportedly losing consciousness while taking a walk. As Navalny was a prominent critic of Russia's President Vladimir Putin, his death has drawn powerful condemnations from leaders around the world, starting with President Joe Biden, who has squarely blamed Putin.
Navalny's widow Yulia Navalnaya also said Putin killed her husband, and has vowed to carry on his work.
Donald Trump faces criticism for his silence on Alexei Navalny
On Sunday, Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley, Trump's last standing challenger in the GOP primary race, called out her rival, who has been incredibly loyal to Putin in the past, for not speaking out on Navalny's death.
"The fact that he won't acknowledge anything with Navalny – either he sides with [Russian President Vladimir] Putin and thinks it's cool that Putin killed one of his political opponents, or he just doesn't think it's that big of a deal," she said in a recent interview.
Trump's lack of comment also comes days after he stunned Western allies by saying he would "encourage" Russia to attack members of the NATO military alliance who had not met their financial obligations.
Haley described Trump's NATO comments as "bone-chilling," adding, "All he did in that one moment was empower Putin."
Cover photo: ALMOND NGAN / AFP