Russian President Vladimir Putin said Wednesday he prefers the more "experienced" Joe Biden in the 2024 U.S. election compared to former President Trump, the likely GOP nominee.
“He’s more experienced, more predictable, he’s a politician of the old formation,” Putin told journalist Pavel Zarubin when asked which of the two would be better for Moscow. “But we will work with any U.S. leader whom the American people trust.”
He also refused to comment on the 81-year-old president’s health, which has become a major issue during the campaign as a majority of voters believe he’s too old to successfully carry out a second term.
“I'm not a doctor and I don't consider it proper to comment on that,” Putin said, noting that Biden appeared OK in June 2021 when the two met in Switzerland.
Trump, for his part, called Putin's preference "a great compliment."
"President Putin of Russia has just given me a great compliment, actually," Trump told supporters during a rally in North Charleston, South Carolina, on Wednesday.
"He just said that he would much rather have Joe Biden as president than Trump," he continued. "Now that's a compliment. ... And of course, he would say that."
Trump explained why he understands Putin's position.
At the North Charleston rally, Trump said it's a given Putin would prefer Biden's victory because he himself put a break on Russia's interest while he was president, especially on the construction of Nord Stream 2, a controversial German-Russian pipeline, which would have carried natural gas from Russia to Europe.
"I stopped Nord Stream 2, and [Biden] approved it right after I left, so Putin is not a fan of mine actually," Trump said, referring to his role as president in halting the construction of the pipeline by imposing sanctions on it, and Biden's subsequent waiver of sanctions on the pipeline, which critics believed would give Russia an energy dominance over Europe.
"He doesn't want to have me. He wants Biden because he's going to be given everything he wants, including Ukraine," Trump claimed of Putin and Biden's relationship. "He's gonna have his dream of getting Ukraine because of Biden ... The only president in the last five that hasn't given Russia anything is a president known as Donald J. Trump."
On the campaign trail, Trump has repeatedly touted a good relationship with Putin, calling him "smart" and claiming if he had gotten reelected, the ongoing Ukraine-Russian war would not have happened. (ABC News)
Conservatives on social media noted how Putin's comment is inconvenient to their narrative.
MSM when Putin once said something nice about Trump: “This is evidence that Trump is a Russian agent!”
— David Sacks (@DavidSacks) February 15, 2024
MSM when Putin endorses Biden: “He is playing KGB tricks on us — this can only mean he wants Trump elected!”pic.twitter.com/31FsU9MBv1
Oops!
— DC_Draino (@DC_Draino) February 15, 2024
Inconvenient for the narrative that Trump and Putin are best buddies
Turns out Putin endorses Joe Biden!
And why wouldn’t he?
He basically took 1/3 of Ukraine b/c Joe Biden is so weak and pathetic https://t.co/oXibP7UXVS
BREAKING.🚨
— Kyle Becker (@kylenabecker) February 14, 2024
Vladimir Putin does NOT want Donald Trump to win the 2024 election.
Reporter: "Who is better for us?"
Putin: "Biden. He is more experienced. More predictable. He is an old school politician."
This destroys the Russia hoax once-and-for-all.pic.twitter.com/s0lLPBKxHT
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