GREENVILLE, S.C. (AP) 鈥 Donald Trump doubled down Tuesday on comparing his criminal indictments to the circumstances of Russian dissident Alexei Navalny, the top political opponent of Russia鈥檚 autocratic leader Vladimir Putin who died in a remote arctic prison after being jailed by the Kremlin leader.
Appearing on a Fox News Channel town hall pre-taped before a live audience in Greenville, South Carolina, Trump bemoaned Navalny鈥檚 death, which President Joe Biden and other Western leaders have blamed on Putin. Trump then pivoted to himself, repeating his assertions that the prosecutions against him are driven by politics despite no evidence that Biden or the White House ordered them.
鈥淣avalny is a very sad situation and he鈥檚 very brave, he was a very brave guy,鈥 Trump said in response to a question from Fox News Channel's Laura Ingraham. 鈥淗e went back, he could have stayed away, and frankly probably would have been a lot better off staying away and talking from outside of the country as opposed to having to go back in, because people thought that could happen, and it did happen.
鈥淎nd it鈥檚 a horrible thing, but it鈥檚 happening in our country, too,鈥 Trump continued, suggesting his criminal indictments 鈥 which include two cases stemming from his efforts to overturn his 2020 defeat 鈥 are proof that the U.S. is 鈥渢urning into a communist country in many ways.鈥
鈥淚 got indicted four times ... all because of the fact that I鈥檓 in politics,鈥 Trump said. 鈥淭hey indicted me on things that are so ridiculous.鈥
He extended the comparison to his loss in a civil fraud trial last week, in which a New York judge to pay $355 million in penalties after finding he lied about his wealth for years. With interest, Trump owes the state about $454 million.
鈥淚t is a form of Navalny," Trump said. "It is a form of communism, of fascism.鈥
He did not give a clear answer when asked whether he would post a bond covering the judgment, which is one way he鈥檇 be able to avoid having to pay the full amount while he appeals.
Trump made no mention of Putin, part of his longstanding pattern of going back to when he was in the White House. But his remarks come as House Republicans have refused to provide more funding to Ukraine in its defense against Russia's invasion and as many in the Republican Party of Russian expansionism.
Putin in the White House to Trump. U.S. intelligence assessments of both the 2016 and 2020 elections found that Russia was behind influence operations to boost Trump at the expense of his Democratic Party opponents.
Ingraham interrupted Trump at the town hall Tuesday to ask whether he believed he could become a 鈥減otential political prisoner鈥 for the rest of his life like Navalny. Trump sidestepped the question.
鈥淚f I were losing in the polls, they wouldn鈥檛 even be talking about me and I wouldn鈥檛 have had any legal fees,鈥 he answered. 鈥淚f I were out, I think 鈥 although they hate me so much, I think if I got out they鈥檇 still, 鈥榣et鈥檚 pursue this guy, we can鈥檛 stand this guy.鈥欌
The Fox town hall, recorded Tuesday afternoon and broadcast during Ingraham's primetime hour on the network, marked Trump's first extended remarks about Navalny since Russian officials announced his death. The town hall came four days before Trump competes against Nikki Haley in South Carolina's Republican presidential primary.
Ingraham began the discussion by offering Trump, who has praised Putin for years as a strong leader, a chance to clarify his only to Navalny's demise. In a social media post 72 hours after Russian officials confirmed Navalny had died, Trump broke his silence without mentioning Putin or Navalny's family.
鈥淭he sudden death of Alexei Navalny has made me more and more aware of what is happening in our Country,鈥 he wrote before blasting 鈥淐ROOKED, Radical Left Politicians, Prosecutors, and Judges leading us down a path to destruction鈥 and repeating his false claims that U.S. elections are riddled with fraud.
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Cooper reported from Phoenix.
