A foreign leader stunned his country’s press corps with a stunt that was supportive of President-elect Donald Trump. The president of Croatia shocked international media on Wednesday when he appeared at an unrelated press conference wearing a MAGA – Make America Great Again – hat, indicating his support for the next American president.
Zoran Milanovi?, who has been in office since 2020 and previously served as the country’s prime minister, smiled and seemed enthusiastic about a second Trump administration. He sneakily approached another politician speaking with reporters and pulled out the red hat, placing it on his head with a grin. The unexpected MAGA moment was met with laughter and applause from the Croatian crowd of lawmakers and onlookers alike.
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Zoran Milanovi?, the President of Croatia, puts on a “Make America Great Again” ball cap during a press briefing.
World leaders are excited for America to have a competent President again pic.twitter.com/PZCqc2IoLD
— ??Travis?? (@Travis_4_Trump) November 7, 2024
Contrary to being a conservative European leader like Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, Milanovi? is a former center-left politician integrated into Croatia’s liberal democratic government. At just 53, he represents the eastern European nation on the global stage with a youthful presence, although he has unsettled some local politicians, with critics accusing him of blatant arrogance or a DeSantis-like disconnect from everyday people, as reported by Al-Jazeera. His presidential campaign was marked by the slogan “President with Character,” a subtle nod to his reputation for being stubborn.
In a statement on Facebook, Milanovi? congratulated President-elect Donald Trump with warm words. “I congratulate Donald Trump on his victory and election as president of the United States of America. The new president of the USA was elected by a clear majority of American citizens out of all those who went to the polls, and in any democracy the will of the majority of voters is imperative. Since the acquisition of Croatian independence, the USA has was a partner and friend, I am convinced that this will remain the choice of the new president.” He was joined by Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovi? who added, “Congratulations to Donald Trump on a convincing victory and a second term as the U.S. President. I look forward to our cooperation and further advancing relations.”
After the deadly attempted assassination against Trump in July, Milanovi? called the brazen attack a “threat to life and democracy” and faulted American intelligence services for failing to preempt it. “The attempted assassination of Trump is a horrifying event that should not have happened. There wasn’t even a drone to monitor the area and immediately see what was happening, nor was it all secured in any approximately decent way. There are maniacs everywhere, but you can’t legally acquire, or own, long guns everywhere. And then between that and a shooting, there are just a few steps you need to climb and shoot. Luckily, he missed, but he killed one person, and two were seriously injured,” he told reporters at the time.
