A rigged system

NPR and others reported their observers of the Russian presidentials saw brazen stuffing of the ballot boxes, people returning repeatedly to cast multiple votes, and so on.

And yet, Putin is much more popular among voters in his country than Bozo is among Americans and would have won by a huge margin without chicanery.

Perhaps it was an intentional gesture of contempt - no doubt applauded by many of his supporters whose attitude is even worse than that of the Duce's - for honest politics, for the rule of law, for adherence to republican integrity.

Trump Congratulates Putin

President Trump called on Tuesday to congratulate President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia on his re-election, but did not raise with him the lopsided nature of his victory, Russia’s meddling in the 2016 presidential election or Moscow’s role in a nerve agent attack on a former Russian spy and his daughter living in Britain.

Instead, Mr. Trump kept the focus of the call on what the White House said were “shared interests” — among them, North Korea and Ukraine — overruling his national security advisers, who had urged him to raise Russia’s recent behavior.

“We had a very good call,” Mr. Trump told reporters in the Oval Office, where he had just welcomed Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia. 

“We will probably be meeting in the not-too-distant future.”

The president’s upbeat characterization came five days after his administration imposed sanctions on Russia for its interference in the election and for other “malicious cyberattacks,” the most significant action it has taken against Moscow since Mr. Trump took office. 

The United States also joined Britain, France and Germany in denouncing the Russian government for violating international law for the attack on the spy, Sergei V. Skripal, and his daughter Yulia.

. . . .

Republican lawmakers, even those who have resisted criticizing Mr. Trump, faulted him for congratulating Mr. Putin.

“When I look at a Russian election, what I see is a lack of credibility in tallying the results,” said the Senate majority leader, Mitch McConnell of Kentucky. 

“Calling him wouldn’t have been high on my list.”

Senator John McCain of Arizona, the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, was harsher.

“An American president does not lead the free world by congratulating dictators on winning sham elections,” he said in a statement. 

“And by doing so with Vladimir Putin, President Trump insulted every Russian citizen who was denied the right to vote in a free and fair election to determine their country’s future, including the countless Russian patriots who have risked so much to protest and resist Putin’s regime.”