Russian state media flatters Trump, but Kremlin cool on him and Harris
State TV's main Channel One news programme this month showed video of billionaire Elon Musk and TV host Tucker Carlson denigrating Democratic candidate Kamala Harris before zooming in on what it cast as a series of stumbling performances
Russian officials from President Vladimir Putin down say it makes no odds to Moscow who wins the White House on Nov. 5. Yet anyone watching Kremlin-guided state media's coverage of the US election would conclude Donald Trump is strongly favoured.
State TV's main Channel One news programme this month showed video of billionaire Elon Musk and TV host Tucker Carlson denigrating Democratic candidate Kamala Harris before zooming in on what it cast as a series of stumbling performances.
Harris' tendency to burst into fits of laughter, something Putin himself spoke about sarcastically last month, has featured prominently in broadcasts and state TV has played compilations of her least eloquent statements during the campaign.
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By contrast, the same Channel One report portrayed Trump and running mate JD Vance as sure-footed and imbued with common sense on everything from transgender politics to immigration, but facing sinister forces as evidenced by assassination plots.
The Kremlin says the choice of who becomes the next US president is a matter exclusively for the American people and that it will work with whoever is elected.
It has denied steering coverage, although some former state media employees have spoken publicly about weekly Kremlin meetings at which guidance on different issues is given.
The state media's apparent preference for Trump may be no surprise.
