Donald Trump has jokingly said he was offended by Vladimir Putin’s decision to back Kamala Harris in the US presidential race.
The Republican former commander in chief told a rally that he was not concerned by the Russian president giving his support to his Democrat rival, Ms Harris.
Mr Putin gave his allegiance on Thursday in a joking comment that cited her "infectious" laugh as a reason to prefer her over Mr Trump.
“I knew Putin well,” Mr Trump told supporters from behind a bullet proof screen on Sunday. “He endorsed Kamala, I was very offended by that.
“He [Putin] is a chess player. Was it done with a smile? I think it was done with a smile.”
He asked his aide if he should be concerned about Mr Putin backing Ms Harris, the current vice president.
Reuters reported that Mr Putin made the ironic remark on Thursday.
Donald Trump said he was offended by Russian president Vladimir Putin's apparent endorsement of Kamala Harris pic.twitter.com/o2UZER5u8n
— Reuters (@Reuters) September 8, 2024
This came one day after the US Justice Department charged two Russian media executives over an alleged illegal scheme to influence the US election.
US intelligence agencies believe the Kremlin wants Mr Trump to win because he is less committed to supporting Ukraine in the war against Russia.
Mr Putin said: "She laughs so expressively and infectiously that it means that everything is fine with her."
"Ultimately, the choice is up to the American people, and we will respect that choice," he added.
A statement from the Kremlin added that Mr Trump had imposed more sanctions on Russia than anyone in the White House before him.
Both Mr Trump and Ms Harris are effectively tied heading into the final weeks of the election, according to a national poll conducted by The New York Times and Siena College.
Mr Trump is up one percentage point, 48 per cent to 47 per cent Ms over Harris, according to the survey released on Sunday.
This difference is well within the survey's three-point margin of error, meaning a win for either candidate in the November 5 election is well within reach.
