Garry Kasparov has been warning the world about Russian dictator Vladimir Putin for more than a decade, and the former world chess champion issued a recurring message about it: "I told you so," Yahoo News reported.
Speaking at an activism conference Monday night in New York, the political activist reminded the audience he warned that Putin would attack U.S. elections.
"I've been saying many of the same things about Vladimir Putin for over 17 years," Yahoo quoted Kasparov. "Putin is not a democratically elected leader — he is a dictator."
Kasparov hearkened back to remarks he made during a 2007 conference in D.C.
"I said, 'Yes, Putin was a bad guy. He was Russia's problem, but if he wasn't contained, he would be a regional problem — and soon after, everybody's problem,'" Kasparov told the assembly.
In fact, it's the same message Kasparov has said since the election, saying in November that he's "tired of repeating 'I told you so.'"
Kasparov said Putin already had a finely tuned fake news propaganda machine by the time Russians went after the 2016 U.S. elections.
"The sad news is propaganda works," Kasparov said. "Fake news works."
Kasparov also took a shot at President Donald Trump.
"Donald Trump had more Russian connections than Aeroflot," Kasparov told the gathering. "While I believe in coincidences, I also believe in the KGB. Every country has its own mafia. In Russia, the mafia has its own country."
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