Russian President Vladimir Putin sarcastically threw his support behind U.S. Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris on Thursday.
The Biden administration has claimed that Russia is actively trying to interfere in the U.S. election and sow discord in the process, even as questions remain as to whether the alleged operation has been effective in targeting voters. Putin joked on Thursday that he hopes that Harris wins the November elections as he initially supported President Joe Biden — before he was “removed” from the race — and because “she laughs so expressively,” according to multiple reports.
“I said that our ‘favorite,’ if I may say so, was the incumbent President Mr. Biden. He was removed from the race, but he recommended that all his supporters support Ms. Harris. So we will do the same, we will support her,” Putin said during an appearance at an economic forum in southeast Russia, multiple outlets reported.
“She laughs so expressively and infectiously that it means that everything is fine with her. And if everything is fine with her — then Trump has introduced so many restrictions and sanctions against Russia that no president has ever introduced before — and if everything is fine with Ms. Harris, then maybe she will refrain from such actions of this kind,” Putin said.
Putin previously claimed that he hoped Biden would win the November election, arguing that he was a “more experienced, predictable person” and “old school” politician.
Russia, as in past elections, has become a hot point of contention between both Democrats and Republicans. The Biden administration’s Department of Justice alleged Wednesday that Russia had been targeting American citizens to promote propaganda and spread disinformation about the election.
Former President Donald Trump was accused of colluding with Russia to win the 2016 election, although no evidence was ever found to support that claim. Accusations that Trump had colluded with Russia were borne out of the Steele Dossier, an intelligence file sourced by an FBI informant, which was widely debunked after revelations that it was based on unreliable or false claims and put forward by an individual working for a political firm positioned against Trump.
The Harris campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
(Featured Image Media Credit: Screen Capture/CSPAN)
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