A pair of Russian pranksters who have targeted several high-profile American politicians claim they called Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders late last year posing as teenage climate change activist Greta Thunberg with an offer to support his campaign.
Vladimir Kuznetsov and Alexey Stolyarov Told the Associated Press the call took place in December 2019. The pair posted an audio recording of the purported call to YouTube on Thursday. The Sanders campaign did not immediately return Fox News’ request to verify whether or not the recording is authentic.
The recording was released more than two months after the call because of Sanders’ success in the Iowa Democratic caucuses and the New Hampshire primary, they said.
On the call, a female pretends to be Thunberg and Stolyarov plays her father, Svante. They offer to lend support to the Vermont senator’s campaign. Sanders suggests “Greta” make a public statement in support of him and that they do an event together the next time she visits the United States.
“Let us continue to talk and when you come to the United States I will bring some people together and we can do some interesting things, and if you wanted to make a statement in support of my candidacy and the program we have outlined for climate change, I would be very very appreciative,” Sanders said.
Danish PM Frederiksen resigns after lackluster election for Social Democrats, Moderates seek to wield power
Why CPAC has a golden opportunity to reestablish itself as the ‘go-to conservative conference’
Newsom’s Social Media Team Freaks, Glowingly Compares Candidate to ‘American Psycho’ Who Used Acid to Mutilate Woman
Illinois Gov Pritzker admits ‘real failures’ as slain Chicago student’s hometown pays tribute in lights
LA model and influencer charged with using dating apps to burglarize homes of elderly, wealthy victims
Israel funds front websites in attempt to push ChatGPT into promoting pro-war messaging
Chicago Mayor Who Said ‘We Cannot Jail Our Way Out of Violent Crime’ Proves We Can As Student Allegedly Murdered by Criminal Illegal
SEE IT: Travelers sound off as ICE agents deployed to airports as shutdown drags past 40 days
American Dennis Coyle lands in Texas after over a year in Taliban captivity
Maryland Dems mocked for prioritizing tampons in men’s bathrooms amid state deficit: ‘Nonsense’
US, Israeli officials insist Iran’s speaker is negotiating despite denials
Matt Mahan moves to boost sagging poll numbers in California free-for-all
Trump urges RNC chair’s wife to run for Congress, pledges endorsement: ‘RUN, SYDNEY, RUN!’
Rep. Jim Jordan eyes spy powers warrant debate after short-term extension of FISA Section 702
Chicago alderwoman apologizes for ‘wrong place at the wrong time’ comment on slain student
Sanders has been a vocal supporter of tough measures to combat climate change, an issue that has garnered Thunberg worldwide notoriety.
At one point during the exchange, the fake Thunberg proposes to record a hip-hop song with Sanders, singer Billie Eilish and rapper Kanye West.
The pranksters then say they are slated to visit Russia and need advice on how to behave.
“I think what you don’t want to do is simply walk in there and get used,” Sanders said. “Russia and [President Vladimir] Putin has been very bad, as far as I know, on climate change. They have a lot of oil, oil is important for their economy, they make a lot of money on oil.”
The fake Thunberg than tells the senator that he was recruited by the KGB in 1988 when he visited Russia and has since been a “sleeper agent.”
“Now it’s time to wake up and fulfill your mission, become president of the United States, build communism in the United States and work for Russia!” the prankster said before Sanders hung up.
The call is part of the duo’s “Stars Save the Earth” project in which they place calls to politicians and celebrities pretending to be Thunberg.
“Many laugh at Bernie Sanders [and say] that he is a KGB agent and wants to build communism in the U.S. Since he calls himself a democratic socialist, we decided to play up this topic — the topic of Sanders being a recruited Russian agent,” Kuznetsov said.
Danish PM Frederiksen resigns after lackluster election for Social Democrats, Moderates seek to wield power
Why CPAC has a golden opportunity to reestablish itself as the ‘go-to conservative conference’
Newsom’s Social Media Team Freaks, Glowingly Compares Candidate to ‘American Psycho’ Who Used Acid to Mutilate Woman
Illinois Gov Pritzker admits ‘real failures’ as slain Chicago student’s hometown pays tribute in lights
LA model and influencer charged with using dating apps to burglarize homes of elderly, wealthy victims
Israel funds front websites in attempt to push ChatGPT into promoting pro-war messaging
Chicago Mayor Who Said ‘We Cannot Jail Our Way Out of Violent Crime’ Proves We Can As Student Allegedly Murdered by Criminal Illegal
SEE IT: Travelers sound off as ICE agents deployed to airports as shutdown drags past 40 days
American Dennis Coyle lands in Texas after over a year in Taliban captivity
Maryland Dems mocked for prioritizing tampons in men’s bathrooms amid state deficit: ‘Nonsense’
US, Israeli officials insist Iran’s speaker is negotiating despite denials
Matt Mahan moves to boost sagging poll numbers in California free-for-all
Trump urges RNC chair’s wife to run for Congress, pledges endorsement: ‘RUN, SYDNEY, RUN!’
Rep. Jim Jordan eyes spy powers warrant debate after short-term extension of FISA Section 702
Chicago alderwoman apologizes for ‘wrong place at the wrong time’ comment on slain student
The pair has pranked other U.S. politicians in recent months. They fooled Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., last year into thinking he was speaking with Turkey’s defense minister. Graham relayed President Trump’s interest in economic and military cooperation between the U.S. and Turkey.
House Intelligence Committee Chairman Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., was a victim in 2018 when the radio shock jocks posed as Andriy Parubiy, the former speaker of Ukraine’s parliament. During the call, Schiff said he would be willing to accept information damaging to Trump.
Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., was also tricked by the pranksters when she was tricked into thinking she speaking with Thunberg and that she had dirt on Trump.
Story cited here.
