Russian Facebook VKontakte on fire as thousands of users accuse Trump of having dementia, call him a clown
Live Events
What did Donald Trump say about Putin?
Why are Russian bots turning on Donald Trump?
How are individuals reacting?
FAQs
(You can now subscribe to our
(You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel
Donald Trump's criticism of Vladimir Putin has sparked outrage online, but not among Americans. Following Putin's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, ties between the United States and Russia became extremely strained; however, they improved after Donald Trump took office in January.The president of the United States has advocated for a ceasefire and urged his Russian counterpart to put an end to the conflict.After Donald Trump slammed Vladimir Putin for "killing a lot of people" in Ukraine, thousands of Russian-linked VKontakte accounts flooded with mocking posts.Thousands of posts on VKontakte, a Russian Facebook-like platform, have turned against Donald Trump, calling him a clown and accusing him of dementia.It represents a significant shift from earlier pro-Kremlin neutrality. According to insiders, Donald Trump's abrupt shift in tone may have rattled Moscow even more than it appears, as per reports.Donald Trump reacted angrily to Russia's weekend bombardment of Ukraine with missiles and drones, which Putin's military has been doing since the start of the full-scale invasion.Since Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social on Sunday that Putin had gone "absolutely CRAZY!" and was "needlessly killing a lot of people" in Ukraine, nearly 1,000 negative posts about Trump have appeared on the Russian social media site VKontakte, as per a report by Newsweek.Donald Trump claimed that Putin "needlessly" killed a lot of people because "something has happened" to him. "And I'm not just talking about soldiers. Missiles and drones are being shot into Cities in Ukraine, for no reason whatsoever," he added.According to a report published on Tuesday by Agentstvo, an independent investigative Russian news outlet, the accounts, which are "in the interests of the Kremlin," have called Trump a "clown.'After President Trump criticized Putin on Sunday, pro-Kremlin bots stopped being neutral in their remarks about him, according to a spokesperson for the bot-tracking project Botnadzor.Donald Trump's comments about Putin were minimized by the Kremlin, but pro-Kremlin bots have begun smearing the American president.Putin may not be happy with Trump's abrupt change in tone, according to the online attacks, even though the U.S. president recently said their most recent phone conversation went "very well," as per a report by Newsweek.Trump was accused of "acting like a child" and "getting so mad early in the morning, as if he wasn't given what he wanted" in the Russian bots' comments."He's really lost his mind" and "wants to sit on two chairs" a Russian expression for attempting to play both sides, were other statements.One bot wrote, "Trump is the one who has lost his mind, not Putin. It seems that dementia, along with the presidential chair, is a genetic gift for every American president.While one bot called Trump a "showman," another called him a "clown.""What can you expect from a clown who threatens Russia instead of taking care of his own country?" wrote another.According to Agentstvo, pro-Kremlin trolls had previously been noticeably quiet when discussing Trump, sticking to neutral or cautious language.Dmitry Peskov, the spokesperson for the Kremlin, dismissed Trump's comments on Monday as the result of "emotional overstrain."Since he harshly criticized Putin's actions in Ukraine, labeling him "crazy" and accusing him of killing civilians.Bots refer to Trump as a "clown," accuse him of dementia, and mock his emotional outbursts.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
28 minutes ago
- Time of India
‘Ready to facilitate for a reasonable fee': Russia mocks Donald Trump-Elon Musk feud, offers 'peace talks' & business haven for Tesla CEO
Russia mocks Donald Trump-Elon Musk feud, offers 'peace talks' & business haven for Tesla CEO (Picture credit: AP) The spectacular fallout between US President Donald Trump and Elon Musk has become a source of mockery and intrigue in Moscow, where senior officials and media figures are treating the public feud as both comedy and opportunity. "Elon, don't be upset!" posted nationalist senator Dmitry Rogozin, the former head of Russia's space agency, on Musk's platform X. "If you encounter insurmountable problems in the US, come to us. Here you will find reliable comrades and complete freedom of technical creativity," he added, in a tone mixing humour with a clear invitation. Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev took the trolling a step further, offering to mediate between the feuding duo. 'We are ready to facilitate the conclusion of a peace deal between D and E for a reasonable fee,' he wrote on X, before jokingly requesting Starlink shares as payment. As per the news agency Reuters, the episode has been widely ridiculed as an example of chaos in Washington, with Margarita Simonyan, editor-in-chief of RT, deriding it as 'modern US political culture, sort of like the English Industrial Revolution. Only in reverse.' The Trump-Musk relationship imploded after Musk criticised Trump's flagship legislative proposal as an 'abomination.' Trump responded with rare public disappointment, telling reporters in the Oval Office, 'Elon and I had a great relationship. I don't know if we will anymore.' He later suggested slashing Musk's lucrative government contracts, saying, 'The easiest way to save money in our Budget, Billions and Billions of Dollars, is to terminate Elon's Governmental Subsidies and Contracts.' The spat escalated quickly, with Musk accusing Trump of 'ingratitude' and reposting claims that the president appeared in government documents linked to Jeffrey Epstein, allegations he shared without providing evidence. The feud also triggered a $100 billion drop in Tesla's market value and prompted Musk to threaten decommissioning SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft, a key part of Nasa missions, before walking it back. The Russian elite appears to be relishing the distraction. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, as reported by Reuters, dismissed the feud as an internal US matter but expressed confidence in Trump's ability to manage it. Others, like hardline nationalist businessman Konstantin Malofeyev, saw strategic value in the squabble. 'We can just be glad that they won't have time for us,' he said, calling it 'the best time to strike back' against Ukraine. Meanwhile, the White House ruled out any imminent reconciliation. A senior official said that Trump had no plans to speak to Musk, dismissing rumours of a scheduled call. When asked by ABC whether he intended to reconnect with his ex-ally, Trump replied bluntly: 'You mean the man who has lost his mind?' As the public spat continues to reverberate, it has turned into a political spectacle that offers both global amusement and serious implications.
Time of India
33 minutes ago
- Time of India
Russia rains drones on Ukraine: 'West should ramp up pressure', Zelenskyy urges global action - The Economic Times Video
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy called on the U.S., Europe and other countries to ramp up pressure on Russia after it launched large-scale drone and missiles attacks on Ukraine on Friday (June 6). Russia launched an intense missile and drone barrage at the Ukrainian capital Kyiv in the early hours of Friday and three people were killed, Ukrainian officials said, as powerful explosions reverberated across the country. More than 400 drones and 40 missiles had struck Ukraine, Zelenskiy said. The attacks followed a warning from Russian President Vladimir Putin, conveyed via U.S. President Donald Trump, that the Kremlin would hit back after Ukrainian drones destroyed several strategic bomber aircraft in attacks deep inside Russia.
Indian Express
35 minutes ago
- Indian Express
US issues new Iran-related sanctions, Treasury website shows
The United States has issued a new round of Iran-related sanctions targeting 10 individuals and 27 entities, according to a post on the US Department of Treasury website on Friday. The sanctions, which also target some entities in the United Arab Emirates and Hong Kong, come as US President Donald Trump's administration is working to get a new nuclear deal with Tehran.
