In the latest “you can’t make this up” moment, Russian President Vladimir Putin is condemning the political persecution and lawfare tactics that resulted in a guilty verdict for former President Donald Trump’s hush money case.
Putin, speaking before international news agencies, warned the United Kingdom that one thing is now “very clear” regarding Trump’s legal woes – the U.S. is “burning democracy to the ground.” It’s not clear why Putin put the U.K. on notice during his remarks.
In a show of support for Trump, Putin took to the media to state that everyone is aware of what is happening in the U.S. He explained that, in his view, America is “burning” itself “from the inside” while destroying the country and political systems it has relied on for hundreds of years.
Putin noted that Trump was convicted without evidence and that the government was using the court system for “domestic political struggle.” He said that it was very apparent to Russians what was happening and added that it should be equally clear for the U.K. and those in the U.S.
Putin seemed amused that the guilty verdict pushed Trump’s approval ratings up, and his campaign contributions increased significantly. According to Putin, it’s proof that Americans acknowledge that the cases were brought forward for political reasons. The Kremlin spoke out about the issue last week, saying it was a concerted effort to eliminate political rivals in any way possible, even illegally.
If anyone can speak about eliminating political rivals, it’s Putin. Putin’s farcical elections are rigged to favor him, and his political opponents are frequently jailed, held up in court matters, “disappear,” or worse. Putin’s reelection to his fifth term as Russia’s president was widely attributed to voter coercion and the removal of any legitimate threat to his campaign.
In the past, Trump has frequently mentioned the unique bond between himself and Putin, suggesting that Russia’s leader granted him “favors” due to their friendship. However, while Trump and Putin seem to share a mutual respect, Putin has said that he would prefer to see Biden win the 2024 election.
And why not? Not only does Biden lack the backbone to stand up to Putin, but he has also proven that he can use valuable lessons from Putin’s playbook to eliminate political rivals and challenges. It must be very flattering for Putin to see a United States president use the strategies of his dictatorship to get ahead.
