Trump breaks silence on Navalny's death, does not blame Putin

Former US President Donald Trump has broken silence on the death of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, making his first public comment in a social media post, Reuters reported.

In the post, Trump expressed awareness of Navalny's sudden death and seemingly linked it to his concerns about the state of the United States.

Trump highlighted what he perceives as a slow and steady decline, attributing it to "crooked, radical left politicians, prosecutors, and judges" and lamenting issues like open borders, rigged elections, and unfair courtroom decisions.

The post did not indicate the connection Trump was trying to draw between Navalny's death and his political situation. Trump's campaign did not immediately respond to requests for clarification.

The former president is currently facing legal challenges, including a judge's order to pay $355 million in penalties for overstating his net worth.

While President Joe Biden and other political figures have directly blamed Putin for Navalny's death, Trump's statement avoided assigning blame to the Russian leader.

Critics, including his Republican rival Nikki Haley, characterised Trump's response as unpatriotic, stating that he could have condemned Putin and praised Navalny's courage.

The silence from Trump, who previously expressed admiration for Putin during his White House tenure, contrasts with the condemnation of Putin by other prominent figures in the US political landscape following Navalny's death.