Russia and Putin · 2024 campaign · № 77
Cited Putin's claim that his prosecution shows 'the rottenness of the American political system'
“But even Vladimir Putin, has anybody ever heard of Vladimir Putin of Russia, says that Biden's, and this is a quote, politically motivated persecution of his political rival, is very good for Russia, because it shows the rottenness of the American political system, which cannot pretend to teach others about democracy.”
- Said
- , Campaign rally, Durham, New Hampshire
- Subject
- Quoting Putin on 'rottenness'
- Type
- Praise and deference
- Topic
- Foreign policy
- Era
- 2024 campaign
What happened
At a December 16, 2023 rally, Trump called Biden 'a threat to democracy' and quoted Putin's September 2023 remarks that the criminal cases against Trump exposed 'the rottenness of the American political system.' Trump faced 91 felony charges in four cases at the time and had pleaded not guilty to all of them; prosecutors rejected his claim that the cases were politically motivated. At the same rally he praised Hungarian leader Viktor Orbán and said immigrants were 'poisoning the blood of our country.' The Biden campaign said Trump 'parroted Adolf Hitler, praised Kim Jong Un, and quoted Vladimir Putin.'