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Sen. Bernie Sanders became the victim of a pair of Russian pranksters posing as teenage climate activist Greta Thunberg and her father, culminating with the Democratic presidential candidate being asked to \u201cbecome a sleeper agent of the KGB.\u201d<\/p>\n
Vladimir Kuznetsov and Alexey Stolyarov, who are known for trolling high-profile figures, spoke with Sanders \u2014 or at least a man saying he was Sanders \u2014 on the phone for what the Democratic-Socialist believed was a discussion about the potential for Thunberg to publicly endorse him for President in 2020.<\/p>\n
However, the conversation soon turned into a joke about communism at Sanders\u2019 expense.<\/p>\n
Sanders\u2019 campaign and reps for Thunberg did not immediately respond to TheWrap\u2019s request for comment.<\/p>\n
Also Read:<\/strong> Why Harley Quinn Became a Bernie Sanders Supporter in ‘Birds of Prey’<\/p>\n Kuznetsov and Stolyarov posted a recording of the phone call to YouTube along with a crudely-drawn animated video.<\/p>\n In the recording, an unidentified woman\u2019s voice claimed to be Greta, while Stolyarov played the voice of her father, Svante. The pair offered support for Sanders.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you wanted to make a statement in support of my candidacy and the program we have outlined for climate change, I would be very, very appreciative,\u201d a voice identifying himself as Sanders said, suggesting they do an event together during her next visit to the U.S.<\/p>\n Then came the first bit that should have tipped Sanders off to the prankster-nature of the call.<\/p>\n \u201cGreta\u201d said she had plans to record a rap song expressing her support for Sanders along with her \u201cfriends,\u201d Billie Eilish and rapper Kanye West. She informed Sanders that in order to make the video \u201csuccessful,\u201d it will need to be filled with \u201cexpensive cars and girls,\u201d and he would need to \u201cwear gold jewelry and chains.\u201d<\/p>\n Also Read:<\/strong> Steve Bannon: Bernie Sanders Fans Made Trump President ‘and They’ll Make Him President Again’ (Video)<\/p>\n \u201cSanders,\u201d laughing nervously and sounding a bit uncomfortable, thanked \u201cGreta\u201d for her work in activism and tried to say goodbye. But the pranksters keep him on the phone by asking for advice about an upcoming visit to Russia.<\/p>\n \u201cSanders\u201d answers earnestly.<\/p>\n \u201cHere\u2019s what I think: Russia and Putin have been very bad, as far as I know, on climate change,\u201d he said. \u201cI think what you don\u2019t want to do is simply walk in there and get used\u2026 before you go there, you can do the research but say you are going to Russia because Russia is one of the important economies in the world, and it is absolutely imperative that Russian leadership acknowledge the reality of climate change and pledge to do everything that it can to transform its own energy system and work with other countries.\u201d<\/p>\n Also Read:<\/strong> Al Roker Startled by Larry David and Bernie Sanders Dual Appearance: ‘No, Wait…’ (Video)<\/p>\n And the conversation made a turn for the absurd.<\/p>\n \u201cGreta\u201d tells \u201cSanders\u201d that he was secretly recruited by the KGB during a 1988 visit to Russia.<\/p>\n \u201cExcuse me? Is this what you believe?\u201d Sanders asked.<\/p>\n \u201cYes. You become a sleeper agent of the KGB\u2026 now, it\u2019s time to wake up and fulfill your mission,\u201d she said. \u201cBecome president of the United States, build communism in the United States, and work for Russia. I\u2019ll tell you the code phrase and you\u2019ll remember.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSanders\u201d then appeared to hang up.<\/p>\n In a statement to the Associated Press, Kuznetsov said the prank was part of the comedians\u2019 \u201cStars Save the Earth\u201d project in which they call high-profile politicians and celebrities posing as Thunberg.<\/p>\n \u201cMany laugh at Bernie Sanders (and say) that he is a KGB agent and wants to build communism in the U.S. Since he calls himself a democratic socialist, we decided to play up this topic \u2014 the topic of Sanders being a recruited Russian agent,\u201d Kuznetsov said.<\/p>\n \u201cEveryone, from presidents to street cleaners, are ready to talk to Greta Thunberg,\u201d Stolyarov added.<\/p>\n Stolyarov also clarified to the AP that their goal was not to influence the U.S. presidential election, and that they don\u2019t expect negative consequences to come of the prank.\u00a0 \u00a0insisted the pranksters didn\u2019t want to influence the presidential race in the U.S. in any way. In previous years, the two have been accused of having ties to the Kremlin \u2014 a notion they have repeatedly denied.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s not illegal, and we\u2019re well known in the U.S.,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Watch the prank video above.<\/p>\n Read original story Bernie Sanders Pranked by Russian Comedy Duo Posing as Greta Thunberg (Video) At TheWrap<\/p>\n<\/div>\n