Putin’s Mocking "Endorsement" of Kamala Harris Confuses No One (Except Trump and His Supporters)

Meanwhile the Justice Department reveals how Russian money has exclusively fueled pro-Trump propaganda

Let’s talk about Putin’s recent “endorsement” of Kamala Harris—yes, the one where he laughed about her laugh and joked that Russia would prefer her over Trump in the 2024 election. The clip played perfectly to his Russian audience, who knew it was a sarcastic swipe. But across the pond, in the MAGAverse, the reaction was, predictably, detached from reality.

Trump’s own response was a mixture of confusion and ego. He said, “I don’t know if I’m insulted or if he did me a favor,” trying to turn Putin’s jab into a backhanded compliment. But while Trump tried to downplay the comment, some of his far-right supporters took it literally, pointing to the joke as evidence of some bizarre plot by Russia to prop up Harris instead of Trump. It’s like they missed the punchline entirely. Putin wasn’t seriously backing Harris—he was ridiculing the state of U.S. politics.

Now, while Trump and his followers fumble around trying to make sense of the joke, let’s focus on the reality that the Kremlin’s real support is all too clear. A Justice Department filing just blew the lid off Tenet Media, a company that funneled $10 million from RT-aligned Russian sources directly to right-wing influencers.

Who got the money? Key right-wing influencers like Tim Pool, Dave Rubin, Lauren Southern, and Benny Johnson were on the receiving end of the Kremlin funding. These influencers, knowingly or not, became conduits for pro-Kremlin narratives, reaching a staggering 16 million views across social media platforms. Their content echoed typical far-right talking points, including election denial, anti-Biden sentiment, and immigration fear-mongering—messaging that clearly aligned with Putin’s geopolitical goals.

While these influencers aren’t denying they took the money, their defense is that they were deceived and had no idea it came from Russia. Tim Pool, for example, stated that if the allegations are true, he and others were victims of deception. Benny Johnson echoed this sentiment, expressing shock and distancing himself from the source of the funds. Even prominent right-wing figures like Matt Gaetz and Ben Shapiro quickly came to their defense, arguing that the influencers didn’t know the money was Russian.

Despite their claims of ignorance, the DOJ’s filings make it clear: Kremlin-linked funds were used exclusively to bolster these far-right voices, pushing narratives that stoke division in the U.S. and reinforce Trump’s agenda

So let’s be clear—there’s no evidence of Russian money going anywhere but into the pockets of these pro-Trump “useful idiots” who unwittingly took the money while amplifying pro-Trump messaging to 16 million viewers. So, while Trump supporters are busy misreading the joke about Harris, the Kremlin has been silently funding pro-Trump messaging. The DOJ filings reveal that this was not a bipartisan effort—this money wasn’t handed out across the political spectrum. It was aimed squarely at far-right commentators, reinforcing the narratives that helped destabilize American democracy in 2016 and, clearly, continue to do so today.

So while Trump and his fans laugh along with Putin, thinking they’re in on the joke, they’ve completely missed the point. The Kremlin isn’t backing Harris. Putin’s regime is too busy funding the pro-Trump influencers who continue to distort U.S. politics. Putin’s actions, and now the DOJ’s receipts, show exactly where Russia’s true interests lie—and it’s not with Kamala Harris.

The joke’s on Trump-world. They just don’t realize it yet.