Pro‑Kremlin bots turn on Trump after Putin criticism

• Pro-Kremlin bots: After Donald Trump criticized Vladimir Putin, bots associated with the Kremlin began attacking the American president on social media.
• Change in tone: Analysts from the Botnadzor project observed that previously neutral comments about Trump became more critical.
• Kremlin's reaction: Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov described Trump's words as a sign of "emotional overload."

On Sunday, following the Russian mass drone attack on Ukraine, Donald Trump criticized Vladimir Putin, calling him "insane." The U.S. President wrote on his social media platform, Truth Social, that the Russian leader had "completely lost it." In response, pro-Kremlin bots on social media began attacking Trump.

"It's not Putin who's insane, it's Trump. It seems to be hereditary for all U.S. presidents - a chair and dementia as a gift." - wrote one of the bots. Another referred to Trump as a "clown."

The shift in tone in the comments was noted by analysts from the Botnadzor project, who monitor troll activity in Russia.

Independent Russian media, such as Novaya Gazeta.Europe, observed that pro-Kremlin media remained silent on Trump's criticism of Putin but focused on his comments about Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov commented on Trump's remarks as a sign of "emotional overload at a crucial moment."

Accounts on the VK platform, which operate in the interests of the Kremlin, initially wrote about Trump in a neutral manner. However, after his criticism of Putin, the tone of comments changed. On Monday, pro-Kremlin bots published about a thousand comments on over 150 posts mentioning Trump's name. This demonstrates how quickly and aggressively they can respond to criticism from foreign leaders.