Donald Trump Does Not Condemn Vladimir Putin Over Alexander Navalny Death; Calls To Fund Ukraine Mounts for Republicans
Days after Alexander Navalny's death, Donald Trump finally mentioned him. However, he made no mention of the man who possibly killed him, his "good friend," Vladimir Putin. This comes amid mounting pressure for Republicans to fund Ukraine after the Eastern European country lost a city to Russians and the death of the anti-Putin politician.
Alexander Navalny, Putin's biggest critic in Russia, collapsed in one of the country's most infamous prison colonies. This was met with condemnation from various world leaders and former US presidents. However, Trump only reacted to the incident three days later and without condemnation.
"The sudden death of Alexei Navalny has made me more and more aware of what is happening in our country," the former president recently said on Truth Social. "It is a slow, steady progression, with CROOKED, Radical Left Politicians, Prosecutors, and Judges leading us down a path to destruction."
The Guardian noted that with that statement, Donald Trump managed to turn a grave global political issue into one of significance to his agenda. This statement came after his lone Republican opponent in the primary left, Nikki Haley, slammed him for avoiding the Navalny issue as he has long been tied to Vladimir Putin's efforts to undermine the US.
"Either he sides with 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," Haley said on Sunday. "Either one of those is concerning. Either one of those is a problem."
Trump has frequently praised Putin, who is accused of not just killing Alexander Navalny and invading Ukraine for his ambitions but also using Donald Trump and the Republican Party as "useful idiots" to undermine the US.
The former president recently raised concerns should he win the presidency, as he recently threatened NATO allies that Russia could "do whatever the hell they want" if they do not meet their financial obligations.
READ MORE: US President Ranking: Donald Trump Still Ranked by Historians as Worst US President in History
Liz Cheney Warns That Republican Party Might Have a 'Putin Wing' After Alexander Navalny Death
Meanwhile, as Donald Trump continues to avoid criticizing Vladimir Putin, Trump critic Liz Cheney warned of a Republican Party "Putin wing" as Trump allies continue to deflect and avoid the issue.
"We have to take seriously the extent to which you've now got a Putin wing of the Republican Party. I believe the issue this election cycle is making sure that the Putin wing of the Republican Party does not take over the West Wing of the White House," she told CNN's Jake Tapper in an interview.
"When you think about Donald Trump, for example, pledging retribution, what Vladimir Putin did to Navalny is what retribution looks like in a country where a leader is not subject to the rule of law," the former Republican congresswoman warned.
Speaker Mike Johnson Faces Critical Decision on Ukraine Aid as Pressure Mounts
Meanwhile, over at the House, Speaker Mike Johnson has found himself in a tough spot regarding Ukraine as pressure to fund the country's fight against Russia mounts amid a recent Ukrainian defeat, as well as the death of Alexander Navalny.
Johnson is facing massive amounts of criticism not just from other Republicans and other US politicians but also from the international community, according to CNN. This is over his lack of swift action on Ukraine aid, which Republicans have been dangling to get their own agendas over.
READ NEXT: Joe Biden Urged by Latino Groups To Swiftly Combat Discrimination in Immigration System
This article is owned by Latin Post.
Written by: Rick Martin
WATCH: 'American Idiot': Joy rips Trump and Tucker Carlson's Putin support amid Navalny death - MSNBC
Subscribe to Latin Post!
Sign up for our free newsletter for the Latest coverage!