Commentator and social media influencer Brian Krassenstein faced flak on Friday after posting about having ‘snipers in Anchorage’, where Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump are meeting. Several users alleged that Krassenstein was calling for the Russian president’s assassination.
At the time of writing this story, a meeting between Presidents Trump, Putin, and other officials was underway.
Just before the summit, Krassenstein posted a video of the two leaders shaking hands on the tarmac. “They should have had snipers in Anchorage, Alaska, ready to take him out as soon as he shrugged,” he posted on X, platform formerly known as Twitter.
Read More: ‘Stop Killing Civilians?’ Putin dodges Ukraine ceasefire question at Alaska Airport
This came after reporters yelled at Putin, asking him ‘When will you stop killing civilians in Ukraine?’. The Kremlin boss shrugged and gestured that he couldn’t hear the question.
Social media users, including pro-Trump accounts, were quick to slam Krassenstein.
“Brian Krassenstein is now calling to ass*ssinate Putin on American soil,” one person tweeted.
“You really didn’t suggest that we kill Putin?” another person asked. Krassenstein quickly replied: “I did.”
He did not stop there. “Correction. We should poison him instead. Make it less obvious,” he wrote in a follow-up tweet.
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“Weird. Lots of Russian bots are reporting me to the FBI and Kash Patel for saying that I think the US policy should be to try and end Putin’s life. It’s almost as if there is no free speech in Russia.”
“In my opinion the US government should have taken care of him,” he further said.
Brian and Ed Krassenstein are American twin brothers who are writers, entrepreneurs, and social media personalities.
“This will will be remembered as one of the most disgraceful moments in U.S. presidential history. In Anchorage, Alaska, Putin brushes off a question about killing civilians. Trump smirks, then drapes his arm around him while they both stand on the literal red carpet the Trump administration rolled out for him. I like presidents who don’t roll out the red carpet for war criminals,” Ed posted.