President Donald Trump repeatedly congratulated Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Faleh Kadhim al-Zaidi on Monday for his victory in a “highly competitive” election during his first visit to the White House.
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In fact, though, the political newcomer was never on the ballot.
“We have a fantastic champion, a new champion, and he won the election very soundly, very conclusively, and he wasn’t favored,” Trump said, introducing Zaidi in the Oval Office. “But by the time they got to know him, he ended up winning, and he’s going to be there for a long time.”
In January, Trump threatened to “no longer help” Iraq if the government moved forward with Maliki, throwing the country into a constitutional deadlock. Iraq’s political forces sought a candidate viewed as relatively neutral amid the U.S. war with Iran. Zaidi was widely regarded as a consensus candidate, following a career that included banking and running the supply of goods for Iraq’s government food basket program, which serves millions.
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