‘A Very Brave Guy’: Trump Praises Fallen Putin Opponent After Being Criticized For Initial Response

Former President Donald Trump praised the late Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny during a Tuesday Fox News town hall after being criticized for his initial response to his death by his GOP rival and others.

The Russian government announced Friday that Navalny died in prison, prompting international condemnation. Trump remained silent about the death of the Russian dissident until a Monday post on Truth Social that was widely criticized for omitting sympathy for the opposition leader, which Fox News host Laura Ingraham pressed him on. 

“Your opponents have used that to say, again, ‘pro-Putin, don’t care about human rights or freedom, the freedom movement,’” Ingraham said about Trump’s post. “And so what does that mean when you said it made you more aware of your circumstances here?”

“Navalny is a very sad situation,” Trump said. “And he is very brave … he was a very brave guy because he went back. He could have stayed away, and frankly probably would have been a better off staying away and talking from outside the country as opposed to having to go back in. People thought it could happen and did happen and it’s a horrible thing. But it’s happening in our country, too.”