Claims of Kremlin interference in US elections are ‘bonkers’ – Ken Livingstone
Former London Mayor Ken Livingstone dismissed allegations of Russian interference in the US election as “bonkers.” He told RT “the idea that anyone in the Russian government would want to actually put Donald Trump in power is absolutely ridiculous.”
Speaking on the accusations that RT was involved in influencing the 2016 US election, Livingstone stated that the news organization “has been broadcasting the news that the American government doesn't want to hear.” RT has consistently faced accusations from rival media outlets and various US politicians of interference in the 2016 US election due to the supposed bias of its coverage.
Livingstone’s comments come following Google’s announcement that there was no evidence that RT used YouTube to influence the election, a claim previously leveled at the organization. According to the Google statement, “Some have raised questions about the use of YouTube by RT, a media service funded by the Russian government. Our investigation found no evidence of manipulation of our platform or policy violations; RT - and all other state-sponsored media outlets - remains subject to our standard rules.”
The report comes after Twitter banned RT and Sputnik from advertising on its platform, citing “election interference.” The company’s move was rebuked by Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, who stated that it “sets a precedent of unequal treatment of its customers.” On Wednesday, executives from Google, Facebook and Twitter are expected to testify in front of the US Senate Judiciary Committee's panel on Crime and Terrorism.
