Democratic Rep. and MSNBC Host Float Theory Donald Trump Responsible for Death of Alexei Navalny
California Democrat Rep. Ted Lieu and MSNBC host Alex Witt floated the theory Saturday that Donald Trump’s recent comments about NATO led to the death of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny in prison on Friday.
“It’s quite a coincidence,” said Lieu of the timing.
In a friendly interview on MSNBC’s Alex Witt Reports, the host asked the progressive congressman first about the death of Navalny and the responsibility for it, mentioning that President Joe Biden has publicly blamed Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Navalny, a prominent Putin critic and activist, died in Siberia on Friday, where he’d been imprisoned at the notorious “Polar Wolf” penal colony north of the Arctic Circle by the Russian leader’s authoritarian regime since returning to Russia after surviving being poisoned by Putin thugs in 2020.
“Let’s begin with the death of the Russian leader, Alexei Navalny. It was in a Siberian prison, as you know. President Biden says that Russian President Vladimir Putin is responsible for his death,” Witt said to Lieu on Saturday. “First of all, what are your thoughts about this and how, if we can, should the U.S. hold Russia responsible?”
Lieu immediately drew a direct line to Trump, leaving no mystery about what he was suggesting.
“I think we have to ask ourselves, why did Navalny all of a sudden die at this point in time?” he said, establishing the timeline to peg it to Trump’s recent comments.
“I first of all, agree with President Biden that Russia is responsible for his death. Also, what happened in a few days leading up to his death?” said Lieu. “Well, we had former President Donald Trump essentially say that Russia should attack European countries.”
The remarks he was referring to were made by Trump at a rally, in which he bragged to his MAGA audience that he told NATO allies if their dues were in arrears, the U.S. would not only not defend them from Russia, but “in fact I would encourage them to do whatever the hell they want. You gotta pay. You gotta pay your bills.”
“That is crazy. That is traitorous language. Russia certainly was listening, and I think they thought, hey, we now have a green light to do all sorts of crazy stuff,” Lieu said to Witt, drawing the direct line to the death of Navalny as a consequence of Trump’s permission.
Witt took note of the remark and asked about it, saying to Lieu, “are you suggesting there could be a link between what Donald Trump was saying — saying Russia, do whatever the hell you want to our NATO allies — do you think it emboldened, potentially, Putin?”
Before he could answer, Witt added more detail to shore up their theory.
“Because to your other point, the day before he died, he looked to be in perfectly good health. He’d spoken with his wife. He appeared via zoom, in some sort of a legal arrangement that he had to do there. We’re looking at pictures right there. He was joking with the guards, joking with the judge or an attorney there. He looked absolutely fine,” sh said. “The next day drops dead?”
Lieu sewed up their cause and effect outline by adding, “I think it’s quite a coincidence. And certainly Russia is listening to what the former president is saying. He’s saying crazy stuff.”
Watch the clip above via MSNBC.
