Donald Trump Finds Himself In Hot Water After Endorsing A Controversial Figure
When it comes to backing political figures, former President Donald Trump doesn't have the cleanest track record. He has put support behind both foreign and domestic politicians that have had him facing criticism from both sides of the aisle.
Most notably, the former president greatly supported Russia's leader, Vladimir Putin. According to CNN, there are approximately 80 times Trump has spoken about the infamous ruler on record between 2013 and 2017, most times with positive comments. Most recently, Trump praised Putin after his attack on Ukraine, before quickly backstepping.
Trump's support behind questionable political figures doesn't just take place on foreign soil. Americans can recall both the nomination and approval of controversial Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, who was accused of sexual assault (via the BBC).
Now that Trump's time in the White House has come to a close, he is still heavily involved in American politics, putting his support behind candidates running in local and federal elections. Recently, critics are hounding him for endorsing a political figure.
Trump's latest endorsement isn't going over well
Former President Donald Trump has a lot in common with a new TV-star-turned-politician, Dr. Mehmet Oz. Both have spent time in the public eye and they are both proud of their Republican leanings. Plus, they each pack a vast amount of wealth (per The New York Times).
It wasn't all that surprising when Trump decided to put his support behind Oz. According to the Daily Beast, the pair are old friends, and backing Oz's Pennsylvania Senate campaign was bound to happen. However, not everyone who has supported Trump feels aligned with Oz's campaign.
Fans of Trump aren't pleased that he is siding with someone who is involved with the "Hollywood elites." Sean Parnell, who originally had the support of Trump before having to exit the race due to abuse allegations from his ex-wife, made a statement in line with this criticism.
"I have enormous respect for President Trump. I was honored to have his endorsement in PA. Twice," said Parnell. "But I'm disappointed by this. Oz is the antithesis of everything that made Trump the best president of my lifetime."
Even Trump's allies are unhappy with this endorsement.