It’s unclear why Mugabe thinks Trump would be more sympathetic to him than previous American presidents. The republican candidate hasn’t made any public statements about how he would approach US-Zimbabwe relations.

Trump’s rival Hillary Clinton on the other hand has compared the Trump’s economic policies to those of Zimbabwe in the 1990s, which caused hyperinflation and economic crisis.

Or it may be the case that Mugabe senses a kindred spirit:

It appears Trump’s race for the presidency has made it more difficult for US representatives to be taken seriously abroad.

“We’ve been the object of some derision by autocratic heads of state as a result of Trump’s candidacy,” Coons said.

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