Retired US Army General Barry McCaffrey has asserted that Russian President Vladimir Putin is actively rooting for former President Donald Trump to win the 2024 Presidential election. McCaffrey suggests that Putin perceives Trump's legal challenges as politically motivated, reflecting a perceived corruption within the American political system.
Trump, currently the leading candidate in the 2024 GOP presidential primary, has enjoyed Putin's praise and has previously been suspected of interfering in the 2016 campaign to influence voters. The former President has frequently quoted the Russian leader on the campaign trail.
Putin, facing a crisis of confidence in his own country due to health concerns and resistance from the military regarding the war with Ukraine, is rumored to be operating incognito from a distant mansion, with speculation surrounding his health and location.
During a recent rally in New Hampshire, Trump quoted Putin, who criticized the numerous criminal charges Trump currently faces, all of which the former President has denied and pleaded not guilty to. The comment by Putin was reportedly made at an Economic Forum in eastern Russia in September of the same year. Trump added Biden's name to the quote, alleging politically motivated persecution.
McCaffrey expressed bewilderment at the relationship between Trump and Putin, characterizing Putin as a thug and murderer who has led Russia into economic and political turmoil. He believes that Putin, along with other adversaries like North Korea, actively wishes for Trump's return to office, despite potential negative consequences for US national security.
Media reports have suggested that countries such as China, Iran, North Korea, and Russia could collaborate to disrupt or influence the 2024 elections, using social media to spread false information or propaganda against the Biden administration while praising Trump.
McCaffrey, a decorated Vietnam War veteran, criticized the Trump-Putin relationship and expressed concerns about the potential impact on US national security if Trump were to return to office.
Notably, the Department of Justice (DOJ) investigated possible Russian interference in the 2016 election, and although the Mueller report did not establish conspiracy or coordination between the Trump campaign and Russia, it did identify Russian efforts to benefit Trump's candidacy. Russia has consistently denied election interference, and Trump has called the Mueller report a "complete and total exoneration."
In 2021, a declassified US intelligence report alleged that Russia tried to help Trump in the 2020 election, but no evidence of foreign voter fraud was found. The report outlined Putin's authorization of influence operations aimed at denigrating President Biden's candidacy, supporting Trump, and undermining public confidence in the electoral process. Both the Kremlin and Trump denied allegations of interference in the 2020 election.
(With Agency Inputs)
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