Surprising turnaround Richard Lugner's last words on Donald Trump - "Poison for Europe"

Austrian building contractor Richard "Mörtel" Lugner, who was once regarded as the "Austrian Trump", distanced himself from Trump shortly before his death. A surprising U-turn followed.

A few weeks before his death, Austrian building contractor Richard "Mörtel" Lugner gave his last interview to the "Kronen Zeitung" newspaper and surprised everyone with a political U-turn, as "20 Minuten" has now picked up on. The 91-year-old, once known as a Trump supporter, explained that he now supports Vice President Kamala Harris and considers Donald Trump to be "poison for Europe".

During the interview, the entrepreneur, who recently underwent heart surgery, said that he found Harris to be "competent and cheerful". He was particularly impressed by her career as Attorney General: "She was Attorney General and is even cheerful," he explained admiringly.

Lugner was once a Trump fan

The media used to refer to Lugner as the "Austrian Trump", a title he originally saw as a compliment. However, he has since taken a critical view of this parallel. According to Lugner, Trump was a businessman whose successes were often overshadowed by bankruptcies - a realization that was "a warning shot" for him.

He also criticized Trump's political decisions, such as withdrawing from the nuclear agreement with Iran and his repeated threats to leave Nato.

Lugner's wife Simone, 42, confirmed after his death that her husband had long had a soft spot for Harris. "He admired her for her style and her trouser suits," she added, quoting him with a wink: "Like the 'Kämela', she wears the pants too.