Last Updated on February 14, 2020
A Russian YouTube prank duo with an impressive track record of fooling American politicians has released audio of what they claim is a conversation with presidential candidate and Vermont senator (D-VT) Bernie Sanders.
“Hello, this is Senator Sanders,” a man who sounds exactly like the Vermont senator says. “I’m calling for Greta Thunberg.”
The individual calling himself Sanders is then tricked into a phone call with an actor pretending to be Greta Thunberg.
“I just wanted to congratulate you on the extraordinary role you are playing in rallying young people throughout the world on this terrible, terrible crisis of climate change,” he says.
“Oh thank you Senator Sanders, thank you so much,” responds “Greta.”
The conversation then leads to the alleged Sanders begging Greta for help on the campaign trail: “Well if you would like to help in our campaign that would be wonderful, and we would be very appreciative, because you have generated so much excitement among young people and all people throughout the world. You are admired very, very much.”
“If you wanted to make a statement in support of our plan and my candidacy, I would be very appreciative,”the man who sounds like Sanders continues. “We can bring some folks together with you, and we can have a wonderful meeting if that’s something you are interested in.”
The prank duo then suggest Sanders appear in a “rap video” with Billie Eilish and Kanye West, who are both lauded as “close friends” of Greta.
“That would be terrific,” the man responds. ” Rap music is very popular. We have a number of rap artists working hard on our campaign.”
“If we want to make the video successful, we need a lot of expensive cars, and girls, and you need to wear a lot of gold chains and jewelry,” the Greta voice actor says, prompting nervous laughter on the other end of the call.
The pranksters then tell the man purported to be Sanders, “In 1988 after you were recruited, you were programmed to work for Russia, and your memory was erased -”
“Is this what what you believe?” the man calling himself Sanders asks incredulously.
“It’s time to wake up and fulfill your mission,” the pranksters tell him. “Become President of the United States, build communism in the United States, and work for Russia. I will tell you the code phrase and you will remember. Russian hackers will begin an operation to bring you to power in the United States.”
At this points the video ends, as if the man identified as Sanders finally hangs up the phone.
The Russian prank duo behind the phone call have previously fooled Adam Schiff (D-CA) into trying to acquire nude pictures of President Donald Trump, and fooled Maxine Waters (D-CA) into trying to acquire a “confession tape” of Trump admitted to every charge brought against him by Waters.
The Sanders campaign did not immediately respond to National File’s request for comment.
