Trump compares himself to Navalny and pledges Biden debates at Fox town hall: Live

Donald Trump again compared his own legal struggles to the shocking fate of the late Russian dissident Alexei Navalny during a Fox News town hall event in South Carolina on Tuesday evening.

The former president gave a typically lively performance during the interview with Laura Ingraham, in which he discussed his various ongoing court cases and said his recent order to pay out $355m in financial penalties to the state of New York amounted to “a form of Navalny”, adding: “It is a form of communism or fascism.”

Despite Mr Trump’s brief praise of Navalny as “very brave”, it has emerged that the political activist was less than complimentary about him, having issued a chilling warning about what a second Trump administration could mean for the world in one of his final letters to a friend.

Elsewhere at the town hall, Mr Trump declared he would commit to debating Joe Biden “as many [times] as necessary” should he secure the Republican presidential nomination, having shirked the debate stage as a GOP candidate, but was unable to point to any evidence of “corruption” in President Biden’s background, despite House Republicans’ dubious impeachment investigation continuing.

Despite Trump’s brief praise of Alexei Navalny as “very brave” last night, it has emerged that the political activist was less than complimentary about him, having issued a chilling warning about what a second Trump administration could mean for the world in one of his final letters to a friend.

Here’s our report.

Late Russian dissident called Republican’s possible return to White House ‘really scary’ prospect

Donald Trump again compared his own legal struggles to the shocking fate of the late Russian dissident Alexei Navalny during a Fox News town hall event