STA, 25 October 2020 - Prime Minister Janez Janša's endorsement of US President Donald Trump for a second term has sparked an acrimonious Twitter exchange with Michael Carpenter, the foreign policy advisor to Trump's Democrat challenger Joseph Biden.
"Lol, Trump picks up an endorsement from Slovenia's prime minister, previously indicted and convicted on corruption charges. But don't worry, Slovenian friends, in 11 days we'll be sending demagogic populism packing," Carpenter tweeted, adding the Slovenian word for shame, 'sramota' at the end.
Lol, Trump picks up an endorsement from Slovenia's prime minister, previously indicted and convicted on corruption charges. But don't worry, Slovenian friends, in 11 days we'll be sending demagogic populism packing. Sramota. https://t.co/0e9J41kTRy
— Michael Carpenter (@mikercarpenter) October 23, 2020
This was after Janša joined leaders of the likes of Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban in endorsing Trump.
"We respect difficult, tragic personal life of Joe Biden and some of his political achievements years ago. But today, if elected, he would be one of the weakest presidents in history," Janša tweeted on Friday.
In response to Carpenter's tweet Janša denounced it as blatant lie on Twitter on Saturday.
"Yes, I was not only wrongfully convicted, but also sent to prison 3 times starting with 1988 trial in front of Yugoslav communist military court. But all cases were dismantled by Constitutional or other courts. It is A.D. 2021. You can easily check the facts online," Janša tweeted.
Well, Mr. @mikercarpenter from @PennBiden:
— Janez Janša (@JJansaSDS) October 24, 2020
1. all of us outside #US will of course respect the decision of US voters whatever they decide. Hope you will do the same (there are some doubts watching your supporters in Baltimore)1/5
"Despite that, you are blatantly lying. Now I see why @realDonaldTrump calls you the #Swamp. Even if this is an influence of yours "slovenian friends", it doesn't excuse you. Hope US administration will newer again shame itself by such "career" diplomat."
Janša also said that "all of us outside #US will of course respect the decision of US voters whatever they decide. Hope you will do the same (there are some doubts watching your supporters in Baltimore)".
Carpenter's tweet invited both negative and positive reactions. Dan Fried, a former as assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian Affairs, tweeted that it was not wise for a country to take sides in another country's democratic elections.
Reporting on Janša's endorsement of Trump, the Associated Press wrote that right-wing conservatives in Eastern and Central Europe, like Orban, Serbian President Aleksanda Vučić and Janša, "have sometimes copied Trump's style of leadership".
