WASHINGTON – Since taking office last year, New Zealand’s prime minister,Jacinda Ardern, has become an internationally noteworthy world leader in anumber of ways.
At just 37, she is one of the youngest heads of government or state in theworld – and certainly the youngest female world leader. She isalso pregnant, which will make her one of only a few elected leaders inmodern history to give birth while in office.
But one aspect of Ardern’s global reputation leaves her fuming: thecomparison with President Donald Trump.
In an interview that aired on NBC’s “Today” show this week, Ardern saidthat the idea “infuriated” her and made her “extremely angry” for what itimplied about her immigration policy.
The concept that Ardern had something in common with Trump – a 71-year-oldgrandfather – first came to widespread prominence with a tweet by the WallStreet Journal last September that compared her to Canada’s young leaderJustin Trudeau “except she’s more like Trump on immigration.”
The Wall Street Journal article that was being shared by the tweet waswritten before Ardern was elected and did not actually mention Trump’s name.
However, it said that Ardern’s “rapid ascent owes much to tapping intogrowing unease about affordability, particularly among young voters, andfeeding off a global backlash over immigration.” It also noted that Ardernwanted to cut the annual net migration figure by up to 30,000 people a year.
In the ensuing election, New Zealand’s incumbent government, led by thecenter-right National Party, did not receive enough votes for a majority.Instead, Ardern’s center-left Labour Party was able to form a minoritygovernment with the aid of NZ First, a populist right wing party.
The leader of that party, which received less than 10 percent of the vote,is Winston Peters – an outspoken figure in New Zealand who has earned a fewcomparisons to Trump himself for his “combative relationship with thepress.”
Peters is now deputy prime minister of New Zealand; he will take overArdern’s duties while she takes her six-week maternity leave later thisyear.
During her interview with the “Today” show, Ardern said that the focus onher pregnancy while in office was understandable, but added: “I’m lookingforward to the day when we won’t have news stories about that because itwon’t be nearly as unusual.” – Washington Post