The News
News of former U.S. President Donald Trump’s indictment by a New York grand jury has reverberated around the world.
Here’s a look at what the global media and key figures around the world are saying.
The View From the press
la Repubblica
In the Italian-language newspaper la Repubblica, Paolo Mastrolilli outlines what may come in the days leading up to Trump’s expected surrender to the police. He asks if the U.S. is about to be hit with a wave of violence, or, if moderate Republicans will now rally behind a different candidate for the 2024 presidential election.
The Guardian
For The Guardian, New York lawyer Lloyd Green recounts the lawsuits and legal proceedings facing Trump, but questions whether the indictment will actually hurt him in the eyes of voters in the long run. “The latest fireworks will likely damage Trump with the broader electorate even as Joe Biden struggles with a banking crisis and persistent inflation,” Green writes, but “don’t bet that Fox News changes its tune.”
Le Monde
Trump will go down in history for his indictment, Le Monde’s Washington correspondent Piotr Smolar writes, but it’ll be in a way that the former president would’ve probably preferred to avoid. With the possibility of fingerprinting and mug shots in his future, Trump is entering a new phase of his public life. “As the overwhelming favorite in the Republican primaries for the 2024 presidential election, he is about to put American democracy through another major test of its resilience,” Smolar notes.
Al Jazeera
In Al Jazeera, Canada-based columnist Andrew Mitrovica says “hallelujah” to the news of Trump’s indictment, adding that he doesn’t care how the former president or his base eventually weaponize the indictment in their favor — he’s just happy the day finally arrived. “Like millions of enlightened Americans, I had oscillated from hope to despair that this day would ever arrive. It has,” Mitrovica writes.
Handelsblatt
For German-language outlet Handelsblatt, Annett Meiritz writes that Trump’s “attack” on democracy is fueled ever further by the indictment. His coming arrest, she says, shows that Trump has influence over an entire country — even if he never again sees the inside of the Oval Office.
The Economist
An indictment would be career-ending for any other politician, The Economist notes. For Trump, it could galvanize a movement that in recent months has seemed to be flagging. But the newspaper asks whether the indictment is the right move, given that the case is so novel and untested. “Anyone who thinks now is the moment when he finally gets his comeuppance will be sorely disappointed.”
The View From el Salvador
The president of El Salvador, Nayib Bukele, was one of the first world leaders to react to the landmark indictment.
Bukele wrote on Twitter: “Imagine if this happened to a leading opposition presidential candidate here in El Salvador.”
He later added, “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 prosecution’ in other countries, from now on.”
The View From Hungary
Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who Steve Bannon once described as the ”Trump before Trump,” expressed his support for the former president on Monday.
“Keep on fighting, Mr. President!” Orban tweeted. “We are with you.”