It almost seemed like an inside joke.  When reporters at the G-20 summit in Osaka asked if Donald Trump would tell Russian President Putin not to meddle in the 2020 election, Trump turned to Putin and with a smirk that almost said “I have to say this but wink wink.”  Watch the full exchange above.

Asked by reporters if he would tell Putin not to meddle in the elections, Trump said, “Yes, of course.” He turned to Putin and, in a lighthearted way, said, “Don’t meddle in the election.” Then he wagged his finger and repeated, "Don’t meddle in the election."

— Peter Baker (@peterbakernyt) June 28, 2019

Then Trump turned to “fake news,” saying to Putin of journalists, “you don’t have this problem but we do.”

In Russia, journalists have been killed or beaten in retaliation for their reporting. Today, Trump said approvingly to Putin about the press: “You don’t have this problem but we do.” https://t.co/oqCasMDnxu

— Manu Raju (@mkraju) June 28, 2019

This post contains opinion and analysis.