Former President Donald Trump is a lot of things, but he is definitely not Russian dissident Alexei Navalny. Unfortunately, the former president appears to be unaware of this reality.

The reports of Navalny’s tragic death in a Russian penal colony sent shockwaves through the geopolitical landscape, with high-profile individuals and other members of the chattering class chiming in on the loss of a major icon in the fight against authoritarianism.

Yet, Trump, on multiple occasions, failed to read the room. During a Tuesday town hall on Fox News he compared his situation to that of Navalny.

Former President Donald Trump likened the $355 million judgment against him in a New York civil trial to the death of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny during a Fox News town hall on Tuesday evening.

“It is a form of Navalny. It is a form of communism or fascism,” he said, before going on to attack the judge in the case, Arthur Engoron, who he called a “nut job.”

Trump compared himself to Navalny, the outspoken critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin, who died in prison on Friday, on several occasions during the event. Earlier in the town hall, Trump praised Navalny as a “very brave guy” because he chose to return to Russia, where he had been jailed since 2021, though Trump said he “probably would have been a lot better off staying away and talking from outside.”

“People thought that could happen and it did happen,” Trump said, referring to Navalny’s death. “And it’s a horrible thing.”

Asked about outrage over Navalny’s death, Trump said, “It’s happening here.” He said his indictments are “all because of the fact that I’m in politics.”

On Monday, Trump made his first public comment on Navalny’s death, but still appeared to make the story about him. In a post on Truth Social, he wrote:

The sudden death of Alexei Navalny has made me more and more aware of what is happening in our Country. It is a slow, steady progression, with CROOKED, Radical Left Politicians, Prosecutors, and Judges leading us down a path to destruction. Open Borders, Rigged Elections, and Grossly Unfair Courtroom Decisions are DESTROYING AMERICA. WE ARE A NATION IN DECLINE, A FAILING NATION! MAGA2024

For starters, Trump is not a martyr – at least not yet. Even with the efforts of the Democrats, it is highly unlikely that he will end up in the type of prison in which Navalny was incarcerated. Moreover, he has far more resources to fight back against those weaponizing the government against him than Navalny ever had.

Moreover, Trump is fighting to win a second term in office – and he is being forced to overcome great odds to do so. Navalny had dedicated his life to fighting for the human rights that authoritarian thugs like Russian President Vladimir Putin are fond of violating.

Love him or hate him, anyone can see that sometimes Trump has a penchant for pointing a Smith & Wesson at his foot and pulling the trigger until the magazine is empty. This is one of those cases. Making comments like this only opens him up to even more attacks coming from his enemies on the right and left.

Of course, this is not to say that what Democrats are trying to do to Trump isn’t a serious matter. The authoritarians on the left are quite literally using the state as a cudgel against their most feared political opponent. Every single indictment, charge, and lawsuit being thrown at the former president is motivated 100 percent by politics and a desire to influence the outcome of the upcoming presidential election. Indeed, it would not be surprising to see them try to convict him of a criminal offense that could lead to jail time – even if he wins the general election.

However, even if the Democrats succeed, Trump’s plight will be nowhere near as dire as what Navalny faced. Pretending that their situations are alike is an unnecessary flub that isn’t going to help Trump’s campaign. The former president would be better served by remaining on the offense against the president, the Deep State, and the activist media. This is where he shines. It is what made him attractive to voters in the first place. If Republicans want to win the White House in November, Trump can’t afford to keep making mistakes like this.