Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump stirred up conversation Thursday after suggesting he might be “insulted” if Russian President Vladimir Putin were to endorse Democratic nominee Kamala Harris. Trump made the comments while addressing the Economic Club of New York, expressing uncertainty about how to react to such a hypothetical endorsement.
“Putin came out today, he endorsed Kamala, and I didn’t know, was I supposed to call him up and say, thank you very much, I appreciate it,” Trump remarked. “But he endorsed Kamala. I have a feeling, I don’t know, I don’t know exactly what to say about that.”
He continued, “I don’t know if I’m insulted or he did me a favor.”
In reality, Putin had likely been joking earlier this week when he made light of endorsing Harris. This followed the Biden administration’s recent sanctions on Russia for its interference in U.S. elections. During his remarks, Putin humorously claimed that he would support Harris, just as he had previously supported President Joe Biden.
“She laughs so expressively and infectiously that it means that everything is fine with her,” Putin said, teasingly endorsing the vice president. Trump’s reaction highlights the complex and often tense dynamic between the former president and the Russian leader, while Putin’s joke has added another layer of intrigue to the international political theater.