Veteran Democratic political operative James Carville bemoaned that Russian President Vladimir Putin’s plan to help President Trump get reelected is going according to plan.
“Right now, it’s about 1:15 Moscow time. This thing is going very well for Vladimir Putin. I promise you. He’s probably staying up watching this right now. How you doing, Vlad?” he said Saturday night as the results unfolded from Nevada’s Democratic caucuses.
Russia, which used disinformation to interfere in the 2016 presidential election, is reportedly seeking to do the same this year in order to benefit Trump’s reelection effort, according to leaks from a briefing national security officials gave to House lawmakers last week. Recent reports also suggested that the Kremlin has been working to help Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders secure the Democratic party nomination.
Carville, who has been critical of Sanders in the past, said the Vermont senator’s win in Nevada could be a sign that Russia is hoping for a general election matchup between the Vermont senator and the president with the ultimate goal of a Trump victory. He added, however, that he does not believe Sanders is colluding Russian officials.
James Carville: Putin is trying to help Sen. Sanders because Putin wants President Trump to win. It’s a straight line.
“I don’t think Sanders wants Putin to help … I think they don’t like this story, but the story is a fact.” pic.twitter.com/YxOLhSACtA
— MSNBC (@MSNBC) February 22, 2020
“I mean, it’s a straight line. I don’t think the Sanders campaign in any way is collusion or collaboration. I think they don’t like this story, but the story is a fact, and the reason that the story is a fact is Putin is doing everything that he can to help Trump, including trying to get Sanders the Democratic nomination,” he said.
Following his Nevada victory, Sanders secured front-runner status heading into the South Carolina primary in less than a week and Super Tuesday next month.
