Last week, former U.S. President Donald Trump posted on his Truth Social social media platform decrying the treatment of Hindus and other religious minorities in Bangladesh and declaring that the country is “in a total state of chaos.” Trump also praised U.S. partnership with India; U.S. Hindu activists said the comments were a product of their advocacy.
Supporters of Imran Khan, the imprisoned former Pakistani prime minister, likely hoped that Trump would find the time to post something bringing attention to Khan’s plight.
The Pakistani government cracked down hard on Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party in the lead-up to national elections in February. Khan supporters—including many of the 625,000-strong Pakistani American community—believe that a second-term Trump would take an interest in advocating for the former prime minister. When he was president, Trump met Khan (then prime minister) several times, including at the White House, and called him a “good friend.”
However, these engagements were likely driven less by a genuine friendship and more by Trump’s desire to get Khan to help facilitate meetings with the Taliban to begin the U.S. withdrawal process from Afghanistan.
Trump’s silence on Khan during his campaign shows that the former prime minister—and Pakistan more broadly—likely won’t be high on his list of priorities.
This post is part of FP’s live coverage with global updates and analysis throughout the U.S. election. Follow along here.