Interview Appears to Have Aired Live
Thursday night Donald Trump called into Larry King’s show on RT, the Russian-backed news network largely known to spread pro-Kremlin, pro-Putin propaganda along with dezinformatsiya, Russian disinformation. For over ten minutes Trump talked with King, the former host of “Larry King Live,” which ran for 25 years on CNN.
Trump’s appearance on the RT network comes just one day after he appeared on NBC’s “Commander in Chief Forum,” telling veterans and viewers that Russian President Vladimir Putin has “been a leader, far more than our president has been a leader.”
“The man has very strong control over a country,” Trump told NBC’s Matt Lauer. His vice presidential running mate echoed those exact words Thursday on CNN.
On Larry King’s RT show “PoliticKING,” Trump told the veteran host that it’s “probably unlikely” Putin is trying to influence U.S. elections.Â
“I think it’s probably unlikely. Maybe the Democrats are putting that out – who knows,” Trump told King.Â
“If they are doing something, I hope that somebody’s going to be able to find out so they can end it. Because that would not be appropriate at all,” Trump said.
Trump spokesman Jason Miller later told CNN his boss “was never told” his interview with Larry King would be aired on RT. CNN reports Miller “told CNN the interview was recorded as a podcast and was a favor to King.”
The interview appears to have aired live because after King asked Trump a question about how he feels about Mexican immigrants, there was no response and King told RT viewers, “we did not lose the connection.”
Talking Points Memo notes “King also asked Trump if he agreed with Russian President Vladimir Putin’s assessment that the hack into the Democratic National Committee was good for the American public.”
“I don’t have any opinion on it. I don’t know anything about it,” Trump said. “I don’t know who hacked. I’m not sure. You tell me. Who hacked? Who did the hacking? But I have absolutely no opinion on that.”
Â