Putin’s Endorsement Of Kamala Harris
Donald Trump seemed to flounder on stage yesterday when he acknowledged Vladimir Putin had endorsed his rival, Kamala Harris.
During a speech at the Economic Club of New York on Thursday, Trump made a surprising comment: “Putin came out today – he endorsed Kamala.”
He added, somewhat puzzled, “I didn’t know, was I supposed to call him up and say thank you very much, I appreciate it? I don’t know what to say about that. Am I supposed to be insulted or did he do me a favor?”
Trump has often spoken positively about the Russian president, referring to him as “savvy” and even a “genius” for his actions in Ukraine. This admiration stands in contrast to the U.S.’s role as a key ally of Ukraine and the frequent public criticisms Putin directs at America.
Earlier this week, in an ironic twist, Putin endorsed Kamala Harris, Trump’s opponent in the upcoming presidential election. Commenting on her demeanor, Putin said, “She laughs so expressively and infectiously that it means that everything is fine with her.”
He went on to suggest that Harris’s demeanor might indicate she would be less likely to impose further sanctions on Russia if she were to win the presidency.
His comments were widely seen as sarcastic, especially since a second Trump administration is expected to scale back support for Ukraine, which is already struggling.
Even if people took his endorsement seriously, any perceived connection with the Kremlin could hurt the presidential candidate’s reputation—potentially benefiting the Republican Party in the process.
Apparently, Trump didn’t get that message.
The White House, however, clearly did. Their frustration was evident in the response. National Security Communications Advisor John Kirby addressed reporters on Thursday, saying, “Mr. Putin needs to stop commenting on our elections, full stop.
“He shouldn’t be picking sides, one way or the other.
“The only ones who should decide the next U.S. president are the American people.
“We’d really appreciate it if Mr. Putin would stop talking about our election and, frankly, stop interfering in it as well.”
This isn’t the first time Putin has tried to stir the pot ahead of the U.S. presidential election in November.
Earlier this year, Putin publicly supported Joe Biden, before Biden stepped aside and Harris took over the ticket. The Russian leader had praised Biden as “more experienced [than Trump], more predictable.”
Trump seemed to handle the endorsement better when it was for Biden, calling it a “great compliment” and adding, “of course, he would say that.” However, Putin’s support for Harris didn’t sit as well with him.
The Republican candidate has also suggested that Putin would “achieve his dream of taking Ukraine” under Biden’s leadership. While Trump has not detailed his plan for resolving the Ukraine-Russia war, there are concerns he may consider giving Putin significant portions of Ukrainian territory as part of a peace deal.