Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley blasted former president Donald Trump for comparing himself to now-deceased Russian dissident Alexei Navalny.

Haley responded to a statement Trump posted on his Truth Social account Monday morning likening Navalny’s death in Russian prison to his legal battles.

“Donald Trump could have condemned Vladimir Putin for being a murderous thug,” Haley posted on X on Monday. “Trump could have praised Navalny’s courage.”

“Instead, he stole a page from liberals’ playbook, denouncing America and comparing our country to Russia.”

She similarly criticized Trump earlier this month for suggesting he would abandon NATO allies if they do not reach defense spending targets.

Trump said Navalny’s “sudden death” heightened his awareness of the the “path to destruction” he believes America is headed towards.

“The sudden death of Alexei Navalny has made me more and more aware of what is happening in our Country,” Trump said. “It is a slow, steady progression, with CROOKED, Radical Left Politicians, Prosecutors, and Judges leading us down a path to destruction.”

Trump and Haley are set to face off in the South Carolina Republican primary on February 24th. The former president leads Haley in her home state by an average of 31 points, according to the RealClearPolitics polling average.

Navalny died in prison Friday and Russian authorities attributed his passing to a sudden incident after a walk. His widow accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of having the dissident murdered with a poison nerve agent and hiding the body to conceal the evidence.

“We know why Putin killed Alexei three days ago, we will tell you about it soon,” Yulia Navalnya said in a Monday video message.

The Kremlin has denied involvement and claims to be investigating the matter. A Navalny spokesperson said Monday his mother and attorneys were told the investigation has been extended indefinitely.

“They lie, buy time for themselves and do not even hide it,” the spokesperson posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.

President Joe Biden attributed Navalny’s death to Putin in a speech delivered Friday afternoon and praised Navalny’s legacy of fighting against the Putin regime.

“Putin is responsible for Navalny’s death,” Biden stated.

“As people in Russia and around the world are mourning Navalny today, because he was so many things that Putin was not. He was brave, he was principled, he was dedicated to building a Russia where the rule of law existed and it applied to everybody,” he added.