Judith Collins is being blasted by New Zealand right-wing MAGA supporters after sending her congratulations to Joe Biden and Kamala Harris.
The Democrat President-elect and Vice-President-elect defeated Donald Trump on Sunday (NZ time) to become the next leaders of the United States.
New Zealand Opposition leader Collins posted a message to the pair on social media following their electoral win.
"Congratulations to Joe Biden and Kamala Harris on their victory in the United States," she wrote.
"New Zealand has an enduring relationship with the US which I want to see get even stronger. Let's get a free trade agreement done!"
But Collins' comments came under attack with multiple Trump-supporting Kiwis expressing their anger at Collins' remarks.
"Pathetic that you are so far left too. What have you missed, can't you be in support to get to the truth?" wrote New Conservative candidate Bernadette Soares.
"U clearly are part of the swamp @realDonaldTrump has been fighting against for 4 years!" one person tweeted in response.
"Will never vote National again when you haven't even got the guts to call out the blatant corruption that has been going on over the last few days...even a blind man can see what's happening," was another response.
Trump has tweeted multiple false claims of electoral fraud and has so far refused to acknowledge that the race is over, maintaining his unsubstantiated allegation that the Democrats "stole" his victory in a "rigged" election.
But like Collins, multiple world leaders are lining up to congratulate Biden and Harris - including New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.
And other commenters online were more supportive of Collins' stance.
"I hope you lot learn the lesson here. This style of politics of division and hate is being thrown out enmasse by the people," one person wrote.
"The comments here are so dusty. Scary how many Kiwis have been indoctrinated into the Trump cult and divorced from reality," another said.
A recent article in The Conversation found a "significant minority" in New Zealand supports Trump, with a 2020 survey finding 11 percent hoped he would win the recent US election.
"They were more attached to National's Judith Collins (46.6 percent) and ACT Party leader David Seymour (30.2 percent)," wrote Massey University Associate Professor Grant Duncan.
"Only 20 percent of National supporters overall said they hoped Trump would win. But this sub-group of National supporters made up 56 percent of the entire cohort of Kiwi Trumpers.
"A further 23 percent of Kiwi Trumpers supported ACT. So, the National Party is the preferred party of the Kiwi Trumper."
