Following his unprecedented guilty verdict in a case involving hush money, Donald Trump criticized the U.S. criminal justice system, making baseless claims of a “rigged” trial that echoed sentiments from the Kremlin.
“If they can treat me like this, they can treat anyone like this,” Trump stated on Friday, speaking from his New York tower.
Fiona Hill, a former senior White House national security adviser who served under three U.S. presidents including Trump, suggested that thousands of miles away, Russian President Vladimir Putin might be pleased with Trump’s remarks.
Hill and other analysts believe Trump’s criticisms could benefit Putin and other autocratic leaders seeking to bolster their domestic popularity, potentially influencing the upcoming U.S. presidential election, where Trump is expected to be the Republican nominee, and weakening the United States’ global influence.
Donald Trump at Manhattan criminal court (Via Tom Blaine/Shutterstock)
Certain autocratic nations swiftly expressed support for Trump. Moscow echoed Trump’s views on the verdict, with Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov labeling it as the “removal of political opponents through all possible legal or illegal means.”
In September, Putin had characterized Trump’s prosecution as political retribution, highlighting what he described as flaws in the American political system.
After the verdict, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban praised Trump as a “man of honor” and encouraged him to continue his fight.
China’s state-owned Global Times newspaper suggested that Trump’s conviction adds to the “absurdity” of this year’s U.S. presidential election, predicting increased political extremism and social unrest as a result.
