Putin Endorsed Harris for US President. However There's Extra to It

In the course of the Sept. 10, 2024, presidential debate, former U.S. President Donald Trump claimed Vladimir Putin endorsed Kamala Harris in her bid to win the presidential election.

“Putin endorsed her final week. Mentioned I hope she wins. And I believe he meant it,” Trump instructed ABC’s debate moderators Linsey Davis and David Muir. The Republican nominee made the comment at 1:02:18 whereas dealing with off in opposition to U.S. Vice President Harris.

Examples of the claim then appeared on social media platforms, comparable to X, Facebook and YouTube.

Briefly, Trump was proper to say Putin backed Harris earlier in September. The Russian president did supply his help to the Democratic candidate earlier that month. Nevertheless, few folks took his feedback severely.

Talking at the Jap Financial Discussion board within the Russian far-eastern metropolis of Vladivostok on Sept. 5, Putin said he would “lend” Harris his help (archived):

As for my preferences [in the U.S. election], it isn’t as much as us to determine. In spite of everything, the American folks should make their very own selection. As I have already stated, we favoured Mr Biden, the present President, however they took him out of the race. That stated, he suggested his supporters to help Ms Harris. So, we are going to act accordingly and lend her our help.

He later added that the Democratic nominee has “a really contagious” chuckle, whereas “no different President has ever imposed so many restrictions and sanctions in opposition to Russia” as Trump.

Video footage confirmed the Russian president had a raised eyebrow and a smirk on his face whereas making the remarks, main quite a few political pundits to conclude that his feedback weren’t meant to be taken severely.

British information outlet Sky Information’ Moscow correspondent Ivor Bennett claimed Putin was “mischief-making” by endorsing Harris:

Protected to say, Vladimir Putin is having a bit chuckle himself right here. His feedback are virtually actually extra mischief-making than an announcement of truth as a result of, as we all know, Russia’s president would not all the time say what he thinks.

Bennett stated Putin might have hoped that by showing to help the U.S. vice chairman it will truly hurt her possibilities of successful the election. This, he wrote, would open the door for a second Trump time period, which might imply “a minimize to US assist to Ukraine, which in flip would considerably increase Russia’s prospects on the battlefield.”

New York Instances reporter Julian E. Barnes added that “most observers imagine” the Russian leader’s comments “have been stated in jest,” including: “The U.S. intelligence companies have assessed that Putin helps the election of Trump.”

Bennett additionally urged Putin’s help of the previous president was as a result of Moscow believed a Trump administration would “in the reduction of, or finish, U.S. navy assist to Ukraine.”

Likewise, each the Associated Press (AP) and Reuters stated Putin was “teasing” by endorsing Harris, with the latter calling it an “ironic comment.” AP and Al Jazeera added that even the viewers gave the impression to be in on the joke by laughing at his feedback, whereas The Economic Times famous the moderator smiled on the endorsement. Bloomberg went as far to model the help “trolling” (archived).

Due to this fact, Trump was proper to assert Putin stated he backed Harris, nonetheless it was affordable to doubt the sincerity of the endorsement.

Sources