Putin praises Trump for 'representing the common people'

Russian President Vladimir Putin.
(Image credit: Mikhail Klimentyev/AFP/Getty Images)

On Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin shrugged off accusations that his country is meddling in the U.S. election, asking, "Does anyone really think that Russia can influence the choice of the American people in any way?"

"Is America some sort of banana republic? America is a great power. Please correct me if I'm wrong," Putin said during remarks at the Valdai Club, a gathering of world policy experts. Despite Putin denying Russia's involvement in the email hacking of the Democratic National Committee and Hillary Clinton's campaign chairman John Podesta, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said Thursday that the Obama administration is certain the country is behind it.

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia is night editor for TheWeek.com. Her writing and reporting has appeared in Entertainment Weekly and EW.com, The New York Times, The Book of Jezebel, and other publications. A Southern California native, Catherine is a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.