U.S. President Donald Trump met with Russian President Vladimir Putin Friday at the G-20 conference in Osaka, Japan. It was the pair’s first meeting since the Mueller report dropped, which, among many, many other things, confirmed a “sweeping and systematic” effort by the Russians to disrupt the 2016 election. As usual, Trump put on a weird, ingratiating performance in front of the Russian president.

When asked by a journalist specifically about confronting Putin regarding election meddling, Trump mocked the premise, play-scolding the Russian president.

With a smile and a finger wag, @realDonaldTrump tells Putin "don't meddle in the election".



Putin says nothing, but grins in response https://t.co/5YSXrccQ8k pic.twitter.com/Iq7ORvCKaY — AFP news agency (@AFP) June 28, 2019

With a smile, Pres. Trump tells Russian Pres. Vladimir Putin not to meddle in the election. https://t.co/7Rl8zvPlRE pic.twitter.com/49IAHdeAJs — ABC News (@ABC) June 28, 2019

Trump’s lack of seriousness in protecting the U.S. election process continues to be profoundly worrying, but not unexpected at this point. He simply doesn’t care, as long as it points in his favor. The two leaders—one a dictator and the other a wannabe—went on to commiserate about the pesky media, with Trump leading the joke about “getting rid” of journalists.

Trump also bonded with Putin over a scorn for journalists.



“Get rid of them. Fake news is a great term, isn't it? You don’t have this problem in Russia, but we do.”



“We also have,” Putin answered, in English. “It’s the same.”



They shared a chuckle. pic.twitter.com/atGGYxnwfc — Jennifer Jacobs (@JenniferJJacobs) June 28, 2019

“Like the Academy Awards used to be,” Trump also said of the press corps, in his conversation with Putin, as the Russian and US reporters noisily pushed and jostled their way into the bilat room. pic.twitter.com/lgtxlUivJ8 — Jennifer Jacobs (@JenniferJJacobs) June 28, 2019

Meanwhile …

Exclusive FT interview: Vladimir Putin says liberalism has ‘become obsolete’, champions national populism sweeping Europe, and assails mindless multiculturalism and sexual diversity https://t.co/zVbKkyCe6H — Lionel Barber (@lionelbarber) June 27, 2019

“Both leaders agreed that improved relations between the United States and Russia was in each countries’ mutual interest and the interest of the world,” a White House statement on the meeting read.

Cool, cool.