I was uumming and aaahhhing whether to paste this article in the religous forum as it could come under the umbrella of cultism of which the GOP brethren have such a fine reputation for..... In Republicans’ own words. Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump in 2019.Credit...Susan Walsh/Associated Press By David Leonhardt April 7, 2022 https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/07/briefing/republican-party-putin-wing.html Donald Trump turned Vladimir Putin into a popular figure among a significant segment of Republican voters. As a candidate, president and ex-president, Trump has repeatedly praised Putin, calling him “strong,” “savvy” and “genius.” Trump has also echoed Putin’s ideology, by harshly criticizing NATO. Taking their cue from Trump, some Republican voters began to view Putin more favorably. A YouGov poll in January found that Republicans viewed Putin more favorably than they viewed President Biden, Kamala Harris or Nancy Pelosi. Putin’s invasion of Ukraine has changed the situation, damaging his popularity in the U.S., even among Republicans. If anything, many Republican voters say they wish the Biden administration would take more aggressive action to help Ukraine, according to the Pew Research Center. Yet Trump’s effect on Putin’s popularity has not entirely disappeared: There is still a meaningful faction of Republican elites who feel an affinity for the Russian president. Today’s newsletter looks at this faction. Representative Liz Cheney, the Wyoming Republican and frequent Trump critic, describes it as “the Putin wing of the G.O.P.” It both admires him as a strong leader and likes his right-wing nationalism, including his opposition to NATO, Western liberalism and L.G.B.T. rights. For now, this wing remains on the party’s fringe, with little ability to affect policy. Senator Lindsey Graham has called Putin’s defenders “outliers,” while Kevin McCarthy, the Republican leader in the House, has described Putin as an evil dictator who is murdering people. But the G.O.P.’s Putin wing still has influence. It is affecting coverage by the most important news source for Republicans voters: Fox News. It seems to be shaping the behavior of another major corporation: Koch Industries. And Trump remains a leading contender to win the 2024 Republican nomination, which suggests the party’s Putin-friendly faction may not remain on the fringe. In their own words In the days leading up to the invasion, Trump praised Putin for recognizing Ukraine’s economic and strategic value to Russia. “He’s going to go in and be a peacekeeper,” Trump said. “We could use that on our southern border.” In recent days, Trump has shifted to a more mixed message, both saying that Putin should negotiate a peace agreement and praising him as “driven.” Trump has also encouraged Putin to release negative information on Biden’s family. Tucker Carlson, the host of one of cable television’s highest-rated shows, has suggested that American liberals represent a bigger threat than Putin. “It might be worth asking yourself, since it is getting pretty serious, what is this really about?” Carlson said in February. “Why do I hate Putin so much? Has Putin ever called me a racist?” Carlson has also promoted a false rumor, popular in Russia, accusing the U.S. of funding biological weapons labs in Ukraine. These comments are consistent with Carlson’s history of arguing that the U.S. should align itself with Russia over Ukraine. “I think we should probably take the side of Russia, if we have to choose between Russia and Ukraine,” he said in 2019. Koch Industries, the conglomerate whose controlling family is a major funder of Republican candidates and conservative causes, has said it would continue to operate in Russia even as many Western companies have left. Political advocacy groups affiliated with Charles Koch have also questioned why the U.S. is levying harsh sanctions on Russia and have suggested that a Ukrainian victory is not in America’s interest, as Judd Legum of the Popular Information newsletter has reported. “The United States can and should do very little for Ukraine,” Will Ruger, the president of a Koch-funded group, has said. “Ukraine simply doesn’t matter to America’s security or our prosperity.” Marjorie Taylor Greene, a far-right Georgia congresswoman, has criticized both Russia’s invasion and Ukraine’s government. President Volodymyr Zelensky’s government is corrupt, she claimed (without offering evidence), and is in power only because the Obama administration helped overthrow the previous regime (which is not true). She has argued that the U.S. should not send weapons to Ukraine. Matt Rosendale, a Montana congressman, called Zelensky “a less-than-forthright president of the Ukraine.” Former Trump administration officials have echoed their boss’s comments. “I have enormous respect for him,” Mike Pompeo, the former secretary of state, said of Putin. “He is very savvy, very shrewd.” Peter Navarro, who was a Trump economic adviser, said that Ukraine was “not really a country” because it used to be part of the Soviet Union. Douglas Macgregor, another administration official, said that Russian forces had been “too gentle” with Ukraine. At least two Republican candidates have made similar comments. “I don’t really care what happens to Ukraine one way or another,” J.D. Vance, who is running for Senate in Ohio, said. Joe Kent, who is trying to win a primary over a House Republican who voted to impeach Trump over the Jan. 6 riot, called Putin’s demand to control part of eastern Ukraine “very reasonable.” In some cases, Russian state television has shown its appreciation for these kind words toward Putin. It has aired clips of Carlson’s show, defended Trump from what it calls unfair attacks by the American media and suggested that Trump should become president again.
Unbelievably shameless. In another time, these people would have been locked up by their families in the attic. Good times.
Maybe Peter Navarro can give Texas back to Mexico since it used to be part of Mexico with that logic...
Forget what is good and right. Even if you're completely psychopathic as most of these people are, they are also short-sighted and foolish. If Russia controls all of Europe and Middle East (assuming it's possible), US has no bases in the area and American power would fade quickly. It's very possible that Russia would share military assets with China, just to counter the US. Once Russia and China figure out that together they can take on the US, the results won't be good. The GOP people are under the impression that they can do business with Russia based on contracts and agreements, they've learned absolutely nothing. Russians laugh at your contracts if they're not favorable and nationalise assets whenever opportune.
GOP civil war on Ukraine builds between MAGA, Reagan Republicans https://thehill.com/policy/internat...raine-builds-between-maga-reagan-republicans/
I've been noticing the cracks. The propaganda's starting to work. You had your Qtard neverZelensky's from the beginning, but now the ones that hesitantly fell in line are reverting thanks to GRU's talking points. Apparently "democrats are laundering money via UA defense monies".
'The worse, the better': Kremlin propagandists openly fantasize about a second Trump term wrecking America https://www.rawstory.com/trump-russia-2657744087/ With Russia's war in Ukraine grinding to a standstill, pundits on Russian state TV this week openly fantasized about how much easier the entire operation would have been if former President Donald Trump were still in the White House. As reported by The Daily Beast's Julia Davis, Andrey Sidorov, deputy dean of world politics at Moscow State University, said recently on state TV that Russia needs to create a "total internal breakdown" inside the United States, and he said that Trump was just the man to make it happen. Host Vladimir Solovyov agreed with Sidorov's assessment, and he praised Trump for his unique ability to create dysfunction and conflict within the United States and within the Western alliance. “When a person rolls in like an elephant in a china shop -- like Trump -- he tears down and aggravates the situation," he said. "He consolidates the opponents and supporters, prompting a confrontation.” Russian military expert Alexander Artamonov then chimed in by delivering his hopes for what a second Trump administration would herald. "“The worse, the better," he said, according to Davis's translation. "It’s beneficial for us... we’ll put an end to the existence of the old world and start a new era, a new phase—headed by Russia, in my opinion.” In recent months, Russian state TV hosts have openly pined for a Trump restoration and have floated once again interfering in American elections to make it happen.
There is absolutely no doubt Trump sold the country for a Trump Tower in Moscow , which he didn't even get. Subpoena the Interpreter There are real costs to such a move—but the public needs to know what was said between Trump and Putin. Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats said, “I’m not in a position to either understand fully or talk about what happened in Helsinki.” There’s only one American who does know: Marina Gross, the professional interpreter who assisted Trump. Should she be asked? It’s a tough, tough, tough question. Is the president of the United States a Russian asset? Is he subject to Russian blackmail? Is he at this hour conniving with the Russian president against the interests of the United States? These are haunting questions, and Trump’s own determination to defy normal presidential operating procedures to keep secret his private conversations with Putin only lends credibility to the worst suspicions.
The MAGA crowd would love this... Kremlin TV Says if Putin Ran For U.S. President, He’d Win—and Trump Would Be His Veep The Kremlin’s TV propaganda machine wants Russians to believe that Putin is more popular than ever around the globe, despite widespread opposition to the war in Ukraine. https://www.thedailybeast.com/kreml...-president-hed-winand-trump-would-be-his-veep