According to census on wikipedia going back around 120 years Crimea has had a Russian majority in all that time both ethnic and in language. I think it's only right that it belongs to Russia as the people side with them over Ukraine's Obama backed regime change government.
West wont recognise the elections because they know too well all those Russians aren't going to vote against their country. Democracy, human rights etc only mean something when it suits their interests. They've lost their credibility.
As for the state TV's comments so what? Unless there is direct proof that Trump is somehow controlled b y Russians then it means nothing. Israeli politician often brag how they control congress.
I think it was pointed out on one of this Russian TV shows - current head of Crimea had a political party back in the days that was calling for independece of Crimea (or he wanted it to became part of Russia, can't remember and too lazy to check). And for this party during the Ukrainian days voted like 4 % of Crimean population.
Plus, it's not a big secret that Crimea became Russian majority through deportations (I think they say that government deported people of 5 or 6 ethnicities from there) and through programm for retired Soviet military guys (if you retire, government gives you a house in Crimea but I can't remember it was like you can choose between multiple places or take a house in Crimea or take nothing).
I'm not sure how West can recognizes referendum in Crimea if such referendum is against both Ukrainian and Russian laws (more than that, now trying to hold such referendums in Russia is considered a crime).
And about Russians voting against their country - I think even in such TV shows they admit that Ukranians, who fights pro-Russian rebels speeaks in Russian language and in terms of ethnicitiy you can see a lot of Russians among Russian military, there is Russians (from Russia) among volunteers.
And I think people outside of Russia usually knows that Russia is not a nation state and Russians there needed/valued as much as Nigerians or Maori. By the way, there is a lot of German people in Switzerland, who speaks language and ethnically German but they wasn't a part of Third Reich in xx century.
