Smirking Putin Says He Supports Kamala Harris and Her 'Infectious Laugh'

A smirking Russian President Vladimir Putin said that he supports Vice President Kamala Harris over Donald Trump in November's presidential election, joking about her "infectious" laugh as a reason to prefer her over Donald Trump.

Speaking at the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok on Thursday, Putin said Russia's "favorite" was formerly President Joe Biden before he withdrew from the race in July, but that the country would now "support" Harris.

His remark came just hours after the Biden administration accused Moscow of a widespread, sophisticated election interference campaign on Wednesday.

U.S. intelligence agencies believe Putin is hoping for Trump to take the White House in November, given his skepticism over U.S. funding of Ukraine's war machine.

What He Said

"I told you our favorite, if you can call it that, was President Biden. He's now out of the race, but he asked his supporters to back Ms. Harris, so we'll do the same," Putin said with a wry smile.

"The choice is ultimately up to the American people, and we will respect that decision. Favorites aren't for us to decide—it's the American people's choice," he added.

Shifting to a lighter note, Putin commented on Harris' demeanor. "She laughs so expressively and infectiously that she must be doing well," he remarked, before turning back to policy matters.

Putin then contrasted Harris with Trump, saying, "Trump imposed more restrictions and sanctions on Russia than any president before. If Ms. Harris is doing well, maybe she'll avoid actions like that."

Previously, the Kremlin had been cautious about Harris' candidacy. In July, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: "We can't yet assess her potential impact on our bilateral relations. So far, her role has neither been positive nor negative."

Despite his frequent praise for Trump, Putin had noted in February that Biden was "more experienced, more predictable" than Trump. "He's a politician of the old school, but we'll work with any U.S. leader trusted by the American people," he said at the time.

In response, U.S. national security spokesman John Kirby said, "Putin should just stay out of our elections."

On Wednesday, the Biden administration seized Kremlin-run websites and charged two Russian state media employees in its most sweeping effort yet to push back against what it says are Russian attempts to spread disinformation ahead of the November presidential election.

"The Justice Department's message is clear: We will have no tolerance for attempts by authoritarian regimes to exploit our democratic systems of government," Attorney General Merrick Garland said.

The Justice Department said Moscow remains the primary threat to elections even as the FBI continues to investigate a hack by Iran this year that targeted the presidential campaigns of both political parties.

The measures, which in addition to indictments also included sanctions and visa restrictions, represented a U.S. government effort just weeks before the November election to disrupt a persistent threat from Russia that American officials have long warned has the potential to sow discord and create confusion among voters.

Sputnik, a Russian state-owned news agency, suggested that Putin was "trolling" the Democratic Party with his comments.

"Putin keeps trolling US Democratic Party, 'endorses' Kamala Harris for POTUS," Sputnik posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Meanwhile, BBC News' Russia Editor, Steve Rosenberg, weighed in on X, noting that the Kremlin "will know very well" that a public endorsement from Moscow could hurt a U.S. presidential candidate in the election.

"That's probably why they previously backed Joe Biden and are now endorsing Kamala Harris," he added.

Update 09/05/24 3:00 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with new information.