Back in August, when Donald Trump became the only former or sitting president to have a mug shot taken, the 45th president took to Truth Social with an ominous warning: “America is becoming a Banana Republic. That’s what happens when you Indict and Prosecute your Political Opponent. These are DARK DAYS in the life of America!”
But the Left hasn’t stopped since then. In addition to facing 91 charges across four criminal cases, Trump has now been told by Colorado’s state Supreme Court he is disqualified from the primary ballot under the 14th Amendment over his role in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. While he will challenge that ruling, the effort in and of itself has led to widespread condemnation—including from international leaders.
Reacting to the news, El Salvador’s president, Nayib Bukele, argued “The United States has lost its ability to lecture any other country about ‘democracy,’” which Secretary of State Antony Blinken did in 2021 with regard to the Legislative Assembly’s vote to remove judges.
There was a lot of agreement with Bukele on X:
El Salvador President Nayib Bukele says what every international leader is thinking right now as Joe Biden’s party moves to kick their top opponent off the ballot. The emperor has no clothes and we all know it. https://t.co/2uftLceDIP
— Robby Starbuck (@robbystarbuck) December 20, 2023
Every State Department official in Foggy Bottom should eternally hang their heads in shame at the utter farce of our “democracy promotion” programs.
— Mike Benz (@MikeBenzCyber) December 20, 2023
I’m glad world leaders are calling it out. We have become every single thing we sanction. https://t.co/qEjwJWwvxq
If I had a tip jar for every time Nayib Bukele was right I’d be a billionaire. https://t.co/OfkCZYSvp8
— Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) December 20, 2023
The President of El Salvador gets it more than the resident in the White House!
— Weston D. Imer (@realWestonImer) December 20, 2023
This is political persecution and election interference, anyone that doesn’t see that is ignorant or simply blinded by Trump Derangement Syndrome.
None of you can actually believe that this ruling… https://t.co/GzX6aECKf9
Exactly right. Which is one of many reasons why we must all collectively fight to see that it is overturned. This cannot stand. https://t.co/vXm6ZIxQUZ
— America First Legal (@America1stLegal) December 20, 2023
Though some conservatives disagreed:
One state’s ruling is not indicative of the entire country and the U.S. Supreme Court is likely to shoot it down.
— Ryan Saavedra (@RealSaavedra) December 20, 2023
Most people retweeting this guy have no idea that he is close to communist China. https://t.co/GrXwqYmSwk
This is not the first time Bukele has called out the U.S. He made a similar argument earlier this year when Trump was indicted by a New York grand jury in the hush money case.
Sadly, it’ll be very hard for US Foreign Policy to use arguments such as “democracy” and “free and fair elections”, or try to condemn “political persecution” in other countries, from now on 🤷🏻♂️ https://t.co/HQTv0vUuA2
— Nayib Bukele (@nayibbukele) March 31, 2023
Think what you want about former President Trump and the reasons he’s being indicted.
— Nayib Bukele (@nayibbukele) April 4, 2023
But just imagine if this happened in any other country, where a government arrested the main opposition candidate.
The United States ability to use “democracy” as foreign policy is gone. https://t.co/svdFxtaf4q
