Democrat dismisses Putin’s ‘support’ for Harris: ‘Classic doublespeak’

Rep. Jake Auchincloss (D-Mass.) dismissed Russian President Vladimir Putin’s endorsement of Vice President Harris in the election, calling it “classic doublespeak.”

Auchincloss joined CNN’s Kasie Hunt on Thursday, where he was asked what he made of the Russian president’s remarks endorsing Harris.

“I think it’s classic, sort of, doublespeak and disinformation,” he responded. “It’s very clear that the Russians have always thought that Donald Trump is a Putin fanboy.”

Auchincloss pointed to the 2018 Helsinki meeting between former President Trump and Putin where Trump said he trusts the Russian leader more than his own intelligence agencies.

“Of course, the Russians want a guy like that,” he said. “He’s going to be a stooge for them.”

Speaking from an event in Vladivostok, Russia, Putin joked Thursday that he is supporting Harris, citing her “infectious” laugh.

Putin said he previously supported President Biden, but after he withdrew and endorsed Harris, he “will do the same.”

“She laughs so expressively and infectiously that it means that everything is fine with her,” he said, arguing that Harris could lift sanctions Biden placed on Russia.

Putin, who has denied interfering in U.S. elections in the past, said it’s for the American people to decide.

The Harris campaign spokesperson Ian Sams responded to the comments on CNN as well.

“I think everybody knows who dictators and bullies around the world prefer in this election. They prefer President Trump,” he told Hunt. “We reject the kind of divisive, dictatorial leadership that are being offered from people like President Putin.”

Sams condemned Putin’s invasion of Ukraine and said the Harris campaign rejects foreign interference in the election.

“I think that anybody who’s been paying attention for the last decade knows where President Putin stands in the election and who his preferred candidate is, regardless of what he may say,” Sams said.