“Who Won The Debate? Putin!” According to Russian Propaganda

In the aftermath of last night’s contentious U.S. presidential debate between Joe Biden and Donald Trump, Russian propagandists have swiftly moved to capitalise on what they depict as Biden’s faltering performance.

Kremlin-affiliated media outlets and commentators have mocked the American president, portraying him as ‘frail’ and suggesting he should be ‘at home babysitting his grandchildren’ rather than leading the United States.

The debate, marked by heated exchanges and noticeable lapses from Biden, provided ample fodder for pro-Kremlin voices to belittle the current U.S. administration.

Russian state TV and other media platforms revelled in Biden’s apparent struggles, with many claiming that the real victor of the debate was neither Biden nor Trump, but Vladimir Putin.

Putin’s spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, downplayed the significance of the debate, stating that President Putin was too occupied with more pressing matters to watch the event.

“I don’t think you would expect that the President of Russia could set an alarm clock, wake up in the morning and watch a debate in the United States,” Peskov remarked.

He emphasised that U.S. debates are not on Russia’s agenda, though the Kremlin would review media reports of the debate.

Despite these dismissive comments, Russian analysts and media figures have seized the opportunity to highlight what they see as the weaknesses of Biden’s leadership. Professor Alexey Chesnakov of the National Research University Higher School of Economics proclaimed, “Who won today’s debate? Putin!”

Russian state TV New York bureau chief Valentin Bogdanov painted a bleak picture of Biden’s performance, describing him as having a “half-open mouth, unblinking eyes, a blank expression” along with a “hoarse voice, swallowed words and constant slips of the tongue.” Bogdanov further suggested that even the supportive liberal media in the U.S. was unable to mask Biden’s failings, leading to panic within the Democratic Party.

Pro-Kremlin outlet Pool No. 3 also joined the chorus, mocking Biden for appearing in public without the aid of assistants, cheat sheets, or a prompter. They portrayed him as an elderly, frail man who should be retired rather than leading the world’s foremost democracy.

Political scientist Alexander Gorbunov used the debate to critique the U.S. political system, contrasting it with what he described as the strong leadership provided by Russia’s dictatorship.

Gorbunov claimed that the American system had revealed its weaknesses, with both main contenders being unsatisfactory due to health concerns and various scandals.

Adding to the critique, Vladimir Kornilov, an analyst at state news outlet Russia Today, cited a veteran Democratic strategist who allegedly stated that Biden could not beat Trump. Kornilov mocked the strategist for not recognising this earlier, implying that Biden’s perceived shortcomings were obvious well before the debate.

The Russian media’s jubilant response to Biden’s performance underscores their broader narrative that the U.S. is in decline and that Putin’s leadership stands in stark contrast to the chaos they perceive in the West.

This narrative has been further bolstered by Russia’s ongoing war with Ukraine, with many Russians believing that a Trump presidency would be more favourable to Moscow’s interests, potentially leading to a cessation of Western military support to Kyiv.

In recent remarks, Putin himself has echoed this sentiment, criticising the U.S. political system and suggesting that Trump’s legal troubles are being used by his adversaries to undermine his re-election chances.

“They [the US] are burning themselves from the inside, their state, their political system,” Putin stated, reflecting the Kremlin’s view that American democracy is deeply flawed.

As the U.S. presidential race continues, the reaction from Moscow highlights the significant geopolitical stakes involved.

For the Kremlin, a Trump victory could mean a shift in U.S. foreign policy that would be advantageous to Russia, particularly in the context of the war with Ukraine.

The portrayal of Biden as weak and ineffective serves to reinforce this strategic objective, positioning Putin as a strong leader in contrast to the perceived disarray in Washington.

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