Trump says NY civil fraud fine against him is ‘a form of Navalny’

Former President Trump on Tuesday called Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny’s death “a horrible thing,” but doubled down on his suggestion that it’s comparable to his own legal troubles as he runs for the White House.

“Navalny is a very sad situation, and he’s very brave,” Trump said during a Fox News town hall with Laura Ingraham. “He was a very brave guy. He went back, he could’ve stayed away. And, frankly, probably would’ve been a lot better off staying away and talking from outside of the country as opposed to going back in, because people thought that could happen, and it did happen. And It’s a horrible thing.”

“But it’s happening in our country, too,” Trump continued. “We are turning into a communist country in many ways. And if you look at it. I’m the leading candidate, I get indicted—I never heard of being indicted before—I get indicted four times. I have eight or nine trials… all because of the fact that I’m in politics. They indicted me on things that are so ridiculous.”

Asked later about a judge ordering him to pay $355 million as part of a civil fraud trial decision over his business practices, Trump called it “a form of Navalny.”