Putin knocks prosecution of Trump, says US system is ‘rotten’

Russian President Vladimir Putin knocked the criminal cases against former President Trump on Tuesday, calling them a demonstration of the “rottenness” of the American political system. 

“As for the prosecution of Trump, for us what is happening in today’s conditions, in my opinion, is good because it shows the rottenness of the American political system, which cannot pretend to teach others democracy,” Putin said during a speech at the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, Russia. 

He argued that “everything that is happening with Trump is the persecution of a political rival for political reasons.” 

“That’s what it is,” the Putin continued. “And this is being done in front of the public of the United States and the whole world.” 

Trump currently faces dozens of criminal charges across four different cases in Georgia, Florida, New York and Washington, D.C. The former president and some of his supporters have argued that these charges are politically motivated as Trump continues to lead the GOP by a wide margin in the 2024 presidential race. 

Both during and after his four-year term in the White House, Trump pointed to his seemingly friendly relationship with Putin. In recent months, he has also repeatedly claimed he would be able to end the war in Ukraine in 24 hours. 

In an interview on Fox Business last month, the former president claimed Putin “would have never gone into Ukraine” if he were still in the White House, adding he was the “apple of his [Putin’s] eye.”

“We hear that Mr. Trump says that he will solve pressing problems in a few days, including the Ukrainian crisis. Well, this cannot but bring happiness,” Putin said Tuesday.

He added that he does not expect Russia’s tense relations with the U.S. to significantly change no matter who becomes president in 2024. 

“What to expect from the future, no matter who the president is, it’s hard for us to say, but it’s unlikely that anything will change radically,” Putin said. 

The Russian president then knocked President Biden, arguing he has instilled a strong bias against Russia and “it will be very difficult for them to somehow turn this whole ship” in the other direction.

Despite his various legal challenges, Trump continues to maintain a strong lead over his 2024 Republican rivals. Recent polling from Morning Consult shows the former president with 57 percent support, compared to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis — anticipated to be Trump’s biggest competitor — who pulled in 14 percent support.

The Associated Press contributed.