Donald Trump praised Chinese President Xi Jinping. He called Jinping a “brilliant guy” who “runs 1.4 billion people with an iron fist.”
Trump hosted a town hall with Fox News anchor Sean Hannity. He cited Jinping as someone he looks up to.
“Think of President Xi. Central casting, brilliant guy. You know, when I say he’s brilliant, everyone says ‘Oh that’s terrible.’ Well, he runs 1.4 billion people with an iron fist,” said Trump. “Smart, brilliant, everything perfect. There’s nobody in Hollywood like this guy.”
The former president’s remarks are reminiscent of previous comments he has made about the Chinese leader. Despite global concerns over China’s treatment of Uyghur — Trump has cited him as an admirable political figure on more than one occasion.
Trump has also frequently applauded other controversial foreign leaders, such as Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
Specifically, the Republican presidential frontrunner praised China for removing presidential term limits. Trump, who has become increasingly vocal about his desire to expand the power of the president and rework the structure of the American government, commended Jinping for securing his title indefinitely.
“He’s now president for life,” said Trump. “President for life. And he’s great. And look, he was able to do that. I think it’s great. Maybe we’ll give that a shot someday.”
