Iceland’s president wins reelection in landslide over vocal Trump fan

Iceland’s president surged to reelection with more than 90 percent of the vote in results released Sunday after facing a vocal supporter of President Trump in his bid to remain in office.

Agence France-Presse reported that Guðni Jóhannesson, who took office in 2016 after running on a unity platform, won 92 percent of the vote in Saturday’s election against Gudmundur Franklin Jonsson.

Jonsson made headlines during the campaign by praising Trump, whom he called a “true leader” who “looks out for his people” while accusing Iceland’s president of being “too passive.”

Jóhannesson, an Oxford-educated former history professor, previously served as a political commentator before being swept to office in a wave of widespread public support following the resignation of the country’s previous prime minister over a scandal resulting from the publication of the Panama Papers.

Iceland’s president holds much less power in constitutional terms than the U.S. president, but is empowered to veto laws passed by the legislature and can appoint government officials.

Tags Donald Trump Gudmundur Franklin Jonsson Gudny Jóhannesson Iceland

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