7 world leaders who have voiced support for Donald Trump: From Vladimir Putin to Viktor Orban

From Vladimir Putin to Viktor Orban: World leaders who have backed Donald Trump

During his presidential tenure from 2017 to 2021, former President Donald Trump managed to gain the support of world leaders who were not an ally of the United States. The 45th president's foreign allies included leaders with authoritarian tendencies like Russia's Vladimir Putin and Hungary's Viktor Orban. As Trump eyes for a second term in the White House, here are seven world leaders who backed the MAGA spearhead over the years.

1. Vladimir Putin

Russian President Putin explicitly supported his former US counterpart after the hush money conviction last month. In a press conference earlier this month, Putin said the guilty verdict against Trump was "without direct proof," as per The Guardian. "It is obvious all over the world that the prosecution of Trump – especially in court on charges that were formed on the basis of events that happened years ago, without direct proof – is simply using the judicial system in an internal political struggle," the Russian president said. Putin had previously called the four separate indictments against the real estate mogul as "political persecution."

2. Kim Jong Un

North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un was one such leader who made an unlikely bromance with Trump. While the Republican was still in the White House, the authoritarian leader claimed that his relationship with Trump was "special," despite the deteriorating diplomatic talks between Washington and Pyongyang in 2019, according to CNN. As per reports, Kim Jong Un hailed his relationship with the ex-president with a top diplomat of North Korea who said that both leaders harbored "trust in each other."

3. Viktor Orban

Prime Minister of Hungary Viktor Orban, who visited Trump in New York earlier this year, also sided with the former president following his conviction in the New York hush money trial. "I've known President @realDonaldTrump to be a man of honour. As president, he always put America first, commanded respect around the world, and used this respect to build peace. Let the people make their verdict this November! Keep on fighting, Mr President!" Orban wrote on X (formerly Twitter) dismissing the guilty verdict against his American ally. The Hungarian Prime Minister had also endorsed Trump's 2024 presidential run.

4. Benjamin Netanyahu

Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had expressed his allegiance to Donald Trump ahead of the 2020 presidential election. Though their relationship has deteriorated lately, the leaders had shared a rapport in light of the real estate mogul's Middle East policy. Trump's unilateral withdrawal from the Iran deal after taking office won applause from the Jewish state's head. Praising Trump's policies in the region, Netanyahu said in 2020 that the US-Israeli alliance "has never been stronger," as per the Associated Press.

5. Narendra Modi

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during his visit to the US in 2019, breached a diplomatic policy by endorsing Trump's 2020 presidential bid. Appearing alongside the then-president at the 'Howdy, Modi!' rally in Houston, Texas, the Indian PM said,  "In the words of candidate Trump: Abki baar Trump sarkar (This time, [a] Trump government)." The reference to Modi's own campaign slogan in 2014 sparked widespread criticism, as per The Independent. During the speech, the Indian leader also praised Trump's effort to strengthen the American economy again, along with achievements for the US and the world.

6. Boris Johnson

Earlier this month, former British Prime Minister Borris Johnson supported Trump, calling the hush money guilty verdict a "machine-gun mob-style hit job" in his column in the Daily Mail. Johnson wrote that the conviction against the Republican presumptive nominee was "nakedly political – and will make his victory more likely, not less." He also accused the Democrats of "combing the rule book for stuff to use against Trump." The White House hopeful gave a shoutout to the former UK prime minister's support, thanking him on Truth Social.

7. Matteo Salvini

Italy's Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini rallied behind Trump after he became the first former president of the US to be convicted in a criminal case. "Solidarity and full support for @realDonaldTrump, victim of judicial harassment and a process of political nature," said the leader who heads Italy's anti-immigrant League party, according to Reuters. Asserting Italy's awareness about the left's "weaponization of the justice system" to eliminate political opponents legally, Salvini added that he hoped Trump would win and it would "guarantee of greater balance and hope for world peace."