KEY POINTS
- Trump said Navalny's shock death made him realize how prosecutors and judges were 'leading us down a path to destruction'
- He went on to say that 'grossly unfair courtroom decisions' were destroying the U.S.
- Pelosi called for Trump's disqualification for presidency as his statements were 'beneath the dignity of a human being'
Former President Donald Trump has broken his silence on the death of Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny, comparing the beloved Russian opposition leader's shock passing in prison to his own legal woes, and failing to condemn Russian President Vladimir Putin, whom President Joe Biden and other Western leaders have blamed for Navalny's death.
"The sudden death of Alexei Navalny has made me more and more aware of what is happening in our Country. It is a slow, steady progression, with crooked, radical left politicians, prosecutors, and judges leading us down a path to destruction," he wrote on Truth Social on Monday.
He went on to add that the U.S. is experiencing several other issues such as "open borders, rigged elections, and grossly unfair courtroom decisions" that he said were "destroying America."
His Monday statements marked the first time he commented on Navalny's death since the prominent critic of Putin was declared dead by Russian authorities in an Arctic prison Friday. Navalny's death was announced a month before the election in Russia that's expected to extend Putin's regime.
Trump's remarks have since drawn the criticism of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
"You're talking about a former president who cannot tell the truth," Pelosi told Jen Psaki on MSNBC's "Inside with Jen Psaki" Monday, in response to Trump's comments over Navalny's death that did not condemn Putin, whom Biden and other western leaders have blamed for the death of "Russia's Nelson Mandela." Pelosi said Navalny's passing was an "assassination," and referred to Trump as the Kremlin leader's "pal."
"It's beneath the dignity of a human being. It is so horrible you think somebody must have made this up... This statement should disqualify him from running for anything, much less president of the United States."@SpeakerPelosi reacts to Trump's statement on Navalny's death pic.twitter.com/Xgazqh3lqS
— Inside with Jen Psaki (@InsideWithPsaki) February 20, 2024
"The statement that he [Trump] made ... it's beneath the dignity of a human being. It is so horrible," she said. The Democratic lawmaker then called for Trump's disqualification to run for president due to his comments.
Trump and Putin have had a relationship that the GOP presidential frontrunner has described as friendly. During a 2024 campaign rally last year, Trump claimed that Putin called him "the most vicious president ever." He went on to boast that he "got along" well with the Russian leader.
