Russian officials, from President Vladimir Putin to others, assert that it makes no difference to Moscow who wins the White House on November 5. However, anyone watching state media in Russia would likely believe that Donald Trump is strongly favored in the coverage of the U.S. election.
This month, state TV's main news program on Channel One aired footage of billionaire Elon Musk and TV host Tucker Carlson criticizing Democratic candidate Kamala Harris, highlighting what they portrayed as her awkward moments. Harris's tendency to laugh uncontrollably, which President Putin sarcastically mentioned last month, has been a common topic, with state TV compiling her less eloquent statements during the campaign.
In contrast, the same Channel One report depicted Trump and his running mate, JD Vance, as confident and sensible on issues like transgender politics and immigration, suggesting they are up against dark forces, including assassination threats.
The Kremlin claims that the decision on the next U.S. president is solely for the American people and that it will work with whoever is elected. While they deny controlling the coverage, some former state media workers have revealed that there are weekly Kremlin meetings to discuss guidance on various topics.
The state media's apparent preference for Trump may be no surprise.
Source: Reuters
Bd-pratidin English/Afia
