With controversy swirling over President Donald Trump's call to congratulate Russian strongman Vladimir Putin following his controversial re-election March 18, the White House signaled to Newsmax on Monday he is unlikely to make a similar call to Egypt's President Abdel Fattah-el Sissi after his own certain election this Thursday.
"I don't have any call plans to read out to you," White House deputy press secretary Raj Shah replied when we asked about a possible post-election call to Sisi.
Our question about Sissi as polls opened in Egypt on Monday and commenced three days of voting nationwide.
Sissi, who came to power in 2013, faces only one opponent on the ballot. Other potentially stronger opponents have been discouraged from making the race. The most notable prospective foe was retired Gen. Ahmed Shafiq, who drew 48.27 percent of the vote against Muslim Brotherhood candidate Mohammed Morsi in the 2012 election.
Forced into exile after Morsi's election six years ago, Shafiq returned to Cairo early this year with the intention of challenging Sisi. But, after a period in which he was briefly incommunicado, the retired general and former prime minister announced he would not be a candidate.
John Gizzi is chief political columnist and White House correspondent for Newsmax. For more of his reports, Go Here Now.
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