Puppeteers are distancing themselves from Vladimir Putin after both Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump accused each other of being a “puppet” of the Russian leader at the final presidential debate on Wednesday.
“Thank you for contacting Puppeteers of America,” responded the executive director of national nonprofit Puppeteers of America, Paul Robinson, to Death and Taxes after being asked how the organization felt about the politicians’ marionette mudslinging. “First, Mr. Putin is not a member of Puppeteers of America. Second, no further comment.”
According to the puppeteering promotion group’s website, it was “founded in 1937 to provide information, encourage performances, and build a community of people who celebrate puppet theatre.”
Clinton said Putin would prefer a Trump administration “because he’d rather have a puppet as president of the United States.” Trump immediately responded, “No puppet,” before interrupting the former secretary of state repeatedly to say “you’re the puppet.”
