Donald Trump, a frontrunner for the GOP presidential nomination, likened himself to Nelson Mandela — a comment that has received pushback online.
The former president made the comparison at a campaign stop in Derry, New Hampshire, on Monday, Oct. 23: “I don’t mind being Nelson Mandela because I’m doing it for a reason,” he said.
In front of a crowd, Trump, who has been in a heap of legal trouble, was addressing the wave of criminal and civil charges against him, according to The Associated Press. During the summer, he was booked at Fulton County Jail in Georgia for his alleged effort to overturn the 2020 presidential election results in the state.
Separately, he is in hot water in connection to storing classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate and for making hush money payments, including to former adult film actress Star Stormy Daniels to be quiet about their alleged affair.
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Trump’s Mandela comments were met with applause from the crowd. Mandela — the beloved former president of South Africa and Nobel Peace Prize recipient — was imprisoned for nearly three decades for his fight against Africa’s apartheid system.
A book released in 2020 by Trump’s former attorney, Michael Cohen, revealed that he allegedly once referred to Mandela as “no leader,” according to CBS News. Political leaders in South Africa responded to the comment, reportedly referring to Trump in this way: “divisive, misogynistic and disrespectful person ever to occupy the office of the president.”
People on social media blasted Trump for putting himself in the same category as Mandela.
“Nelson Mandela was known for his efforts in reconciliation and his grace and lack of bitterness as leader of South Africa after being imprisoned for over 25 years,” said ex-Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson. “Donald Trump has no claim to his legacy.”
“OUTRAGEOUS: The fact that Donald Trump is comparing himself to Nelson Mandela perfectly illustrates his level of delusion,” one user said. An X user reacted with, “Since Trump likes to compare himself with Nelson Mandela, maybe he should be thrown into a 7-by-9-foot prison cell for 27 years?”
