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U.S. President Donald Trump is facing unexpected online backlash from an army of Russian bots after publicly criticizing Vladimir Putin’s handling of the war in Ukraine. This surprising turn comes after years of perceived amicable relations between the two leaders.
The shift in tone became evident after Trump’s recent Truth Social post where he stated Putin had gone “absolutely CRAZY!” and was “needlessly killing a lot of people.”
Online Fury Erupts
Since Trump’s outburst, nearly a thousand disparaging posts have flooded VKontakte, a popular Russian social media platform. These accounts, allegedly linked to the Kremlin, are now accusing Trump of suffering from dementia and labeling him a “clown,” according to investigative reports from Agentstvo, an independent Russian news outlet.
Kremlin’s Response
While the Kremlin has officially downplayed Trump’s remarks, the coordinated bot activity tells a different story. The online attacks suggest that Putin may be less than pleased with Trump’s changed stance, despite the U.S. president’s recent claims of a positive phone call between them.
The relationship between Russia and the U.S. has been strained since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Trump, who has advocated for a ceasefire, seems to have reached a breaking point with Putin’s continued military actions.
Inside the Bot Barrage
Botnadzor, a project that tracks bot activity, confirmed that pro-Kremlin bots abandoned their previous neutral stance on Trump following his criticism of Putin on Sunday.
Trump’s ire was seemingly triggered by a recent barrage of Russian missile and drone attacks on Ukrainian cities.
The bots didn’t hold back, accusing Trump of “acting like a child” and “getting so mad early in the morning, as if he wasn’t given what he wanted.” Other comments included accusations that he’s “really lost his mind” and is trying to “sit on two chairs” – a Russian idiom for playing both sides.
One particularly scathing comment suggested that dementia is a “hereditary gift” for all U.S. presidents. Another bot mocked Trump as a “showman” and questioned what one could expect from a “clown who threatens Russia instead of taking care of his own country?”
Kremlin’s Official Stance
In contrast to the bot attacks, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov dismissed Trump’s remarks as “emotional overstrain,” suggesting they were “connected with the importance of the negotiation process” in the Russia-Ukraine war.
Trump had previously promised to end the war within 24 hours of returning to office.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy continues to urge the United States and Europe to impose further oil sanctions on Russia, stating that “Russia can only be constrained by force.”
Trump’s Words
In his own words, U.S. President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social on Sunday: “I’ve always had a very good relationship with Vladimir Putin of Russia, but something has happened to him. He has gone absolutely CRAZY! He is needlessly killing a lot of people, and I’m not just talking about soldiers. Missiles and drones are being shot into Cities in Ukraine, for no reason whatsoever. I’ve always said that he wants ALL of Ukraine, not just a piece of it, and maybe that’s proving to be right, but if he does, it will lead to the downfall of Russia!
“Likewise, President Zelenskyy is doing his Country no favors by talking the way he does. Everything out of his mouth causes problems, I don’t like it, and it better stop. This is a War that would never have started if I were President. This is Zelenskyy’s, Putin’s, and Biden’s War, not ‘Trump’s,’ I am only helping to put out the big and ugly fires, that have been started through Gross Incompetence and Hatred.”
Trump also told reporters on Sunday: “I’m not happy with what Putin’s doing. He’s killing a lot of people, and I don’t know what the hell happened to Putin. I’ve known him a long time, always gotten along with him. But he’s sending rockets into cities and killing people, and I don’t like it at all. We’re in the middle of talking, and he’s tuning rockets into Kyiv and other cities. I don’t like it at all.”
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Monday: “We are really grateful to the Americans and to President Trump personally for their assistance in organizing and launching this negotiation process. Of course, at the same time, this is a very crucial moment, which is associated, of course, with the emotional overstrain of everyone absolutely and with emotional reactions.”
What’s Next?
After his call with Putin, Trump said direct Russia-Ukraine talks were to resume immediately.