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The Elders Chief: Trump's 'Poor Leadership' Fueling Populism

Margaret Besheer

   UNITED NATIONS - The head of The Elders criticized President Donald
   Trump on Tuesday, accusing him of opening up space for the spread of
   populism.

   The Elders is an independent group of leaders who work on issues
   related to global peace, justice and human rights. It was founded by
   the late South African president Nelson Mandela in 2007.

   "The problem is much wider than President Trump, there is no doubt
   about that," Chair of The Elders Mary Robinson told reporters at the
   United Nations, where she had just met with the secretary-general. "But
   his poor leadership is aggravating the problem."

   Robinson cited the spread of isolationist and nationalist policies in
   parts of both Eastern and Western Europe and in Latin America.

   "But when you had the United States strongly supporting
   multilateralism, strongly supporting the way in which the global issues
   would be dealt with in partnership-sharing solidarity way, that made a
   huge difference," Robinson, a former president of Ireland said. "It has
   opened up a space for that kind of populism."

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