WASHINGTON − Following the shutdown of a purported Russian disinformation operation that sent millions to a network of fake news outlets and a conservative media brand in Tennessee, Vladimir Putin made a lighthearted remark suggesting Russia actually supports Vice President Kamala Harris in the upcoming election.

Putin said, “Her laughter is so genuine and contagious that it shows everything is going well with her,” eliciting laughter from the audience at a forum in Vladivostok.

In the past, Putin and his Kremlin associates have often responded to allegations of misinformation and espionage with a sense of humor.

After Attorney General Merrick Garland revealed that the Russian state media outlet RT secretly funded a $10 million social media influencer network and fake news sites in the U.S., RT quipped, “Three things are certain in life: death, taxes, and RT’s meddling in the U.S. elections.”

When asked about Harris on Thursday, Putin stated, much like he did before about President Joe Biden, that “we will extend our support to her as well.”

Harris’ laugh has been a target of mockery by former President Donald Trump and his supporters. Recently, Trump strayed from his speech in Pennsylvania to comment that Harris “has the laughter of a lunatic.”

The ‘Doppelganger’ Scheme

On Wednesday, two Russian RT network employees were indicted for conspiracy to launder money and failing to register as foreign agents. Garland described the Russian operation as “Doppelgänger,” indicating it involved fake news outlets that disseminated Russian propaganda to American audiences.

A translated document from the Justice Department filed with the indictments outlined the alleged scheme’s goal, which was to support an opposition U.S. political party critical of American assistance to Ukraine. The identities of the specific parties and candidates were kept concealed with terms like “U.S. Political Party A” and “U.S. Political Party A Candidate.”

An excerpt from the document states, “It makes sense for Russia to put maximum effort into ensuring that the perspective of [U.S. Political Party A] – primarily supporters of [Candidate A] – prevails in U.S. public opinion.”

The document also outlined a mission to “secure the victory of [U.S. Political Party A] in the upcoming presidential election in November 2024.”

Russia, Iran, China

Officials have consistently cautioned about election interference from Russia, China, and Iran. Trump recently claimed that Iranian agents had successfully hacked his campaign this summer.

In the investigation of election interference in 2016 led by Justice Department special counsel Robert Mueller, Russians were charged with hacking into Democratic computers and releasing sensitive information about Hillary Clinton, the Democratic nominee at the time. However, Mueller did not find evidence of collusion between Trump and Russia.

The Mueller report concluded, “The Russian government intervened in the 2016 presidential election in a comprehensive and systemic manner.”

In a Senate Intelligence Committee report from 2020, aligned with U.S. intelligence assessments, it was confirmed that Russia interfered in the 2016 election to support Trump.

Although the Kremlin has persistently denied involvement in U.S. elections, the late Yevgeny Prigozhin, a notorious Russian warlord accused of running operations targeting American voters, stated in 2022: “We have interfered, we are interfering, and we will continue to interfere.”

When asked about Putin’s remarks and the indictments at the White House on Thursday, National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby advised the Russian president to refrain from such actions.

“The determination of who will be the next President of the United States should rest solely with the American people. We would greatly appreciate if Mr. Putin could refrain from commenting on our elections and cease any interference,” stated Kirby.

In response, Putin remarked to the audience in Vladivostok, “Ultimately, it’s the American people’s decision to make. We will honor that decision.”

Reported by: Reuters