Who knew that, even after leaving office, Donald Trump still had such influence over Vladimir Putin? Maybe Biden should appoint Trump as his special envoy to Russia!
On CNN's New Day this morning, co-host John Berman described as "Trumpian" remarks by Putin suggesting that Biden has suffered a loss of mental acuity. This in response to Biden having called Putin a "killer." Berman insisted "Putin either physically threatened Biden, or staged a Trumpian attack on his acuity, depending on how you look at it."
Moscow correspondent Matthew Chance also noted Putin deputy Dmitri Medvedev got in on the insults, saying Biden seemed like a reasonable chap back in the Obama years, but "time hasn’t been kind to him. I can only quote Freud, he goes on. Nothing in life is more expensive than illness and stupidity."
Berman then reiterated "It is stunning, how closely, once again, Russian propaganda lines up with arguments being made by Donald Trump and his supporters.' Susan Glasser, of The New Yorker and CNN, seconded Berman's take, saying:
"I think you’re right to note—it’s hard not to—how much there's a convergence between the Russian rhetoric and attack on Joe Biden, and what we’ve heard from Donald Trump and his supporters . . . putting out the exact same argument that somehow Joe Biden doesn't what to debate Vladimir Putin. It's very Trumpian!"
Biden "somehow" doesn't want to debate Putin? As if it's absurd to suggest that Biden would be reluctant to go toe-to-toe with Putin? Biden? The guy who has set an American record for failing to hold a press conference, even with an overwhelmingly friendly US press corps?
This is by no means to let Putin off the hook. There's plenty of evidence that he is implicated in the death of his critics. Most recently, the Putin regime imprisoned under harsh conditions Russian dissident and opposition leader Alexei Navalny. This when Navalny returned to Russia after having been poisoned under suspicious circumstances.
But it's not just "Trumpian" to suggest that Biden has lost a step or three. It's acknowledging the obvious.
CNN calling "Trumpian" the remarks by Putin and other Russian leader suggesting that Biden has lost mental acuity was sponsored in part by Flonase and Zip Recruiter.
Here's the transcript.
CNN
New Day
3/19/21
6:38 am EDTJOHN BERMAN: Happening now, the US relationship with Russia in a place it hasn’t been in in decades.
President Biden called Putin a killer. Russia then recalled its ambassador, then Putin either physically threatened Biden, or staged a Trumpian attack on his acuity, depending on how you look at it. CNN’s Matthew Chance live in Moscow with a new twist this morning, Matthew.
MATTHEW CHANCE: Of course we've seen an extremely angry response from the Russians over the past couple of days since the remarks by President President Putin here in Russia yesterday saying that he wishes President Biden good health. That was essentially the summation of his response to that comment. He said he meant that without joking, without any kind of joking, without any kind of irony.
That's been interpreted in some corners as a kind of threat to Biden. This is a man, you remember, that silences his critics, or he's accused of doing that, at least.
But I think it was more like playing into this whole situation at the moment on Russia state media, which is trying to cast President Biden as mentally frail, as too old to hold this position.
That’s been backed up by another senior official Russian official here. In fact, the former president, and former prime minister, Dmitry Medvedev.
He went on state media yesterday and said, look, I met with the incumbent US president, Joe Biden in 2011 in various events. He gave me the impression of being a reasonable person then. However, it seems that time hasn’t been kind to him. I can only quote Freud, he goes on. Nothing in life is more expensive than illness and stupidity.
And so, that was the former president, the former prime minister, Dmitri Medvedev saying that, and sort of talking again to this whole kind of idea that's been perpetuated through the Russian media. That the comments that Joe Biden made about President Putin were impacted by his mental capabilities.
. . .
BERMAN: It is stunning, how closely, once again, Russian propaganda lines up with arguments being made by Donald Trump and his supporters.
. . .
SUSAN GLASSER: Well, I think you’re right to note—it’s hard not to—how much there's a convergence between the Russian rhetoric and attack on Joe Biden, and what we’ve heard from Donald Trump and his supporters, including by the Donald Trump Jr. Just yesterday in response to all this with Russia, once again putting out the exact same argument that somehow Joe Biden doesn't what to debate Vladimir Putin. It's very Trumpian!
