Former US Secretary of State says Kiev is right to be concerned if the Republican prevails over Biden
Former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has expressed support for Ukraine’s efforts to uncover potentially damaging information about GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump. She made this statement during a phone call with Russian pranksters Vovan and Lexus, one of whom impersonated former Ukrainian President Pyotr Poroshenko.
According to a recording of the conversation released on Wednesday, Clinton and the individual she believed to be Poroshenko discussed the US political landscape leading up to the November election, as well as the potential consequences of a Trump victory for both Kiev and Washington. Trump has repeatedly criticized President Biden’s handling of the Ukraine conflict, claiming he would end hostilities within 24 hours if elected and cease providing unconditional financial aid to Kiev.
Clinton stated that she is “doing everything” to ensure Biden’s reelection, acknowledging that these efforts come at “a very difficult time in this country.” Her remarks followed a recent televised debate between Biden and Trump, widely perceived as detrimental to the incumbent.
The former presidential candidate, who lost the 2016 election to Trump, described her former rival as “very dangerous,” adding that he “would be very bad for the United States as well as for… Ukraine,” and that Kiev was justified in its concerns.
Later in the conversation, ‘Poroshenko’ proposed to “request a hearing in the [Ukrainian] parliament to find something on him [Trump] before the election,” recalling that the 45th president is currently facing legal challenges in the US. “I think we can attack him from different sides,” the prankster suggested.
Clinton appeared to endorse the idea. “Good. Anything you could do, attack him, I’m all for it, because he is a very dangerous man,” she responded. ‘Poroshenko’ then suggested “sending my people in the US,” without specifying what he meant, but the former secretary ignored this proposal.
Biden and Trump faced off on June 27, with the US president widely perceived as incoherent and struggling. According to several reports, many prominent Democrats and party donors are actively seeking a replacement for Biden.
Meanwhile, Trump is entering the election as the only former or current US president convicted of a crime. In May, the GOP frontrunner was found guilty of falsifying business records related to an alleged ‘hush money’ payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels, with whom Trump allegedly had an affair. The ex-president maintains his innocence and denies any involvement with Daniels.