Poland's presidential election: Trump administration openly backs nationalist candidate
"I just had the opportunity to meet with Karol and listen: He needs to be the next president of Poland. Do you understand me?" It was 5:30 pm on Tuesday, May 27, and the conference hall near Rzeszów, in the Southeast of the country, where a Polish edition of the famous American Republican CPAC (Conservative Political Action Conference) forum was being held, erupted with excitement at these words from Kristi Noem. Visiting this Central European country for the first time, the US Secretary of Homeland Security declared, with the agreement of the American president, her support for Karol Nawrocki, the nationalist candidate in the second round of the presidential election scheduled for Sunday, June 1, which is set to be very close.
In front of a room packed with Polish supporters of the candidate, this prominent Trump administration figure, known for her staunchly anti-immigration stance, said the candidate from the ultra-conservative Law and Justice (PiS) party was "the right leader" to " turn Europe back to conservative values": "If you [elect] a leader that will work with President Donald J. Trump, the Polish people will have an ally strong that will ensure that you will be able to fight off enemies that do not share your values. You will have strong borders and protect your communities and keep them safe, and ensure that your citizens are respected every single day. You will continue to have a US presence here, a military presence. And you will have equipment that is American-made, that is high quality." She implied that Washington could link the continued presence of US troops in Poland to the election outcome.
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