First appearance on Fox: Former President Donald Trump on Tuesday publicly condemned the death of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny for the first time, after facing fierce backlash from Republican rival Nikki Haley.
President Trump addressed the suspicious death at a town hall in Greenville, South Carolina, hosted by Fox News’ Laura Ingraham, days before the state’s Republican presidential primary.
“It’s a very sad situation for Mr. Navalny. He was very brave because he came back.” [to Russia] Asked about the anger among world leaders over Navalny’s death and the opposition’s claims that they don’t care about human rights and freedoms, Trump said:
Alexei Navalny’s wife says “President Putin killed the father of our children” and vows to continue anti-corruption efforts
Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny and his wife Yulia in Moscow, Russia, September 2013. (AP/Evgeny Feldman)
“It’s scary, but it’s happening in our country. We’re turning into a communist country in many ways,” he added, referring to the various prosecutions he faces in New York, Washington, D.C., and Atlanta.
President Trump was initially slow to condemn Navalny’s death, but came under fire after posting on social media that he was “becoming increasingly aware of what is happening in this country.” This is slow and steady progress by crooked radical left politicians, prosecutors, and judges. . ”
On the same day, Haley told Fox News Digital that she regretted Navalny’s response after the circumstances surrounding his death led to widespread speculation that the assassination was ordered by Russian President Vladimir Putin. Told. She argued that President Trump’s comments were intentional and clearly self-serving.
State Department announces “major sanctions package” to hold Russia “responsible for Navalny’s death”
Former President Donald Trump participates in a town hall hosted by Fox News on February 20, 2024 in Greenville, South Carolina. (Fox News)
“This follows President Trump saying he would encourage Putin to invade NATO countries that do not fulfill their responsibilities. And now the only thing President Trump is going to say about Navalny is… ‘s comments are not about accusing Putin of killing President Navalny, but about praising Navalny. “He is fighting the corruption that is happening in Russia, and instead he calls himself Navalny. , and are you going to compare yourself to the victims you are suing?” she said.
Prison officials said Navalny, 47, became unconscious and died on Friday. He was serving a nearly 30-year sentence in a penal colony in northern Russia.
Mr Navalny’s body was reportedly found last week with “marks of bruising”, even though Russian authorities had told his mother that he had died of “sudden death syndrome”.
Alexei Navalny’s mother demands Putin hand over her son’s body ‘for a humane burial’
Nikki Haley hosts a rally in Conway as part of Palmetto State activities in the run-up to the Palmetto State primary election, January 28, 2024, in Conway, South Carolina, USA. (Peter Zai/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Sudden death syndrome is a broad medical term and is not an official condition or diagnosis. Rather, it refers to a wide range of scenarios that lead to sudden and unexpected death.
Navalny has previously organized anti-government demonstrations and ran for office advocating reforms against what he calls corruption in Russia. He was the victim of an assassination attempt in 2020 and was poisoned by Novichok, a suspected nerve agent.
world leaders and Navalny’s own press secretary He announced that he was actually killed by the Putin regime.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
“We don’t know exactly what happened, but there is no doubt that Mr. Navalny’s death was the result of the actions of President Putin and his thugs,” Biden told reporters at the White House on Friday. No,” he said.
FOX News’ Charles Kreitz, Anders Hagström and Reuters contributed to this report.
