(I suppose we are intended to imagine how it would sound if Count Dracula was reading the headline.)
Related:
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/may/04/barack-obama-backs-macron-in-last-minute-election-intervention
Is it only "sinister" if its done TO liberal U.S. politicians and not BY liberal U.S. politicians?  Perhaps some of the tall foreheads at the AP could explain the difference to us little people.