A film from last year’s first presidential debate between Trump and Harris has surfaced online, reigniting debate over Kamala Harris’s previous comments about Donald Trump’s ties with Vladimir Putin.
The video, which has been extensively shared on social media, appears to show Harris anticipating Trump’s developing closeness to Putin and Russia. According to The Guardian, Russia’s deputy foreign minister has confirmed that preparations are ongoing for a prospective meeting between the two presidents.
One video posted on X, captioned “You can’t say she didn’t call it,” shows the 60-year-old Democrat addressing the 78-year-old Republican: “Why don’t you tell the 800,000 Polish-Americans, right here in Pennsylvania, how quickly you would give up for the sake of favor and what you think is a friendship with what is known to be a dictator who would eat you for lunch.”
The resurfaced video has led to a wave of reactions online. One X user commented, “She saw it coming. Didn’t take long…”
Another added, “Word for word! Bar for bar!”
A third person wrote, “God, I loved this part of the debate but hate the reality now.”
Meanwhile, someone else remembered Harris’ warning and stated, “She said he’d get eaten for lunch by Putin. He got eaten for lunch by Putin.”
The fresh focus on Harris’ comments comes as the press recently questioned Trump about whether he would term Putin a “dictator.”
“I don’t use those words lightly,” Trump responded after a brief pause. “I think that we’re gonna see how it all works out.
“Let’s see what happens. I think that we have a chance of an excellent settlement between various countries.
“And, you know, you’re talking about Europe, and you’re talking about Ukraine as part of that whole situation. The other side has a lot of support, also.
“So, let’s see how it all works out. It might work out.
“Look, you can never make up lives. One thing you can make up, the money, but you can’t make up the lives.”
During a press conference at his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida last week, Trump also incorrectly claimed that Ukraine “started” the conflict, telling reporters, “You’ve been there for three years. You should have ended it. … You should have never started it. You could have made a deal.”
Kamala Harris was right: “Those dictators are rooting for you because they know they can manipulate you with flattery and favors”
Trump today: “President Putin even used my very strong Campaign motto of, “COMMON SENSE.” We both believe very strongly in it.” pic.twitter.com/wiKxnLoHGQ
— Republicans against Trump (@RpsAgainstTrump) February 12, 2025
Many Americans are reacting negatively to Trump’s most recent pronouncements.
Social media users have pointed out that the previous president did not hesitate to call Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy a “dictator” just last week.
Kamala Harris has stated, “Those dictators are rooting for you because they know they can manipulate you with flattery and favors.”
In contrast, Trump recently lauded Putin, saying, “President Putin even used my very strong campaign motto of ‘COMMON SENSE.’ We both believe very strongly in it.”
According to the BBC, Trump stated in Florida on February 19 that Zelensky’s main skill was “playing Joe Biden like a fiddle.”
His words came after Zelensky’s reaction to negotiations between the United States and Russia, from which Ukraine was excluded.
At the time, the 47-year-old Ukrainian president accused the American leader of “living in a disinformation space.”
In response, Trump criticized Zelensky on his social media platform, Truth Social, writing, “He’s doing a terrible job, his country is shattered, and MILLIONS have unnecessarily d.i.e.d.”
Later that day, Trump increased his assaults by labeling Zelensky a “dictator,” claiming, “He refuses to hold elections.” He ranks poorly in the real Ukrainian polls.
“How can you be high with every city being demolished?”
