Russian Media Mocks Trump Over Indictment, Wonders If He'll Seek Asylum In Moscow

Russian state media is now mocking former president Donald Trump after he was indicted on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records for charges stemming from an alleged hush money payment to an adult film star.

Last Friday, the Russian state show "60 Minutes" displayed an AI-generate image of Trump wearing an orange outfit while panelists discussed what could happen in the United States should the former president be arrested.

Another picture of Trump wearing similar orange overalls was also used on "Sunday Evening with Vladimir Solovyov." During the weekend broadcast, host Vladimir Solovyov and the show's panelists wondered if Trump has a chance of winning the 2024 election following the indictment. They also discussed the idea of Trump seeking asylum in Russia.

"Should we afford the opportunity for Donald Trump to escape the unfair political persecution in Russia?" Solovyov asked, as translated by The Daily Beast.

The host, who jokingly called Trump "Donald Fredovych," raised the possibility of the former U.S. president taking up residence at an apartment in Rostov-on-Don, where Viktor Yanukovych, the disgraced former president of Ukraine, lived.

"First, one has to earn the spot in Rostov-on-Don," answered Andrey Sidorov, deputy dean for world politics at Moscow State University.

"I am quite disappointed with Donald. He disappointed me back on January 6, 2021."

Co-host Olga Skabeeva also noted that she's looking forward to seeing Trump being "outfitted in an orange jumpsuit and handcuffed."

"We're getting lots of popcorn and waiting," she quipped.

The mockery comes after Trump, on Tuesday, was whisked around Manhattan by the Secret Service to get criminally processed and fingerprinted in connection with his indictment. No mugshot has been taken after he was arrested.

Trump was then taken to the Manhattan criminal court where he pled "not guilty" on all felony criminal charges. He flew back to Florida after the arraignment where he held an event with his supporters.

Trump has also called for Republicans in Congress to "defund" the Department of Justice and the FBI over claims that the Democrats have "weaponized" the country's law enforcement.

"Republicans in Congress should defund the DOJ and FBI until they come to their senses. The Democrats have totally weaponized law enforcement in our country and are viciously using this abuse of power to interfere with our already under siege elections!" he wrote on Truth Social.

It is unlikely that the case goes to trial until next year. The court has set an Aug. 8 deadline for Trump's team to file motions, including attempts to get the charges against the former president reduced. In conjunction, prosecutors were given until Sept. 19 to respond to any motions while New York Judge Juan Merchan is expected to rule on the motions during the next hearing date set on Dec. 4.