Standing beside an approving Donald Trump at a rally in Kentucky on Monday night, Republican Sen. Rand Paul demanded the media unmask the whistleblower whose report about the presidents alleged abuse of power dealing with Ukraine sparked impeachment proceedings.
American news organizations resisted the pressure, butin a 2019 re-play of Russia, if youre listeningKremlin-controlled state media promptly jumped on it.
Shortly after Sen. Paul tweeted out an article that speculated in considerable detail about the identity of the whistleblowerwith a photograph, a name, and details about the purported political history of a CIA professionalRussian state media followed suit.
As if on cue, the Kremlin-controlled heavy hittersTASS, RT, Rossiya-1disseminated the same information. But unlike Rand Paul, one of the Russian state media outlets didnt seem to find the sourceReal Clear Investigationsto be particularly impressive, and claimed falsely that the material was published originally by The Washington Post.
This was the most egregious, but certainly not the only example of Kremlin-funded media cheerleading for Trumps fight against impeachment as proceedings against him unfold with growing speed. As a chorus of talking heads on Fox News have picked up on Trumps talking points, which is predictabletheyve also been echoed across the pond, albeit with a tinge of irony. Have you lost your minds that you want to remove our Donald Ivanovych? asked Vladimir Soloviev, the host of the television show Evening with Vladimir Soloviev.
Russian experts, government officials, and prominent talking heads often deride the American president for his Twitter clangor, haphazard approach to foreign policy, clownish lack of decorum, and unfiltered stream of verbalized consciousness. But all the reasons they believe Trump isnt a very good president for America are precisely their reasons for thinking he is so great for Russia.
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, a Russian client whose regime teetered on the brink of collapse only to be saved definitively by Trumps chaotic approach to the Middle East, recently said that President Trump is the best type of president for a foe. The Russians heartily agree. The Trump presidency has been wildly successful for Russia, which is eagerly stepping into every vacuum created by the retreat of the United States on the world stage.
They say Trump is making Russia great. Thats basically accurate, pointed out Karen Shakhnazarov, CEO of Mosfilm Studio and a prominent fixture on Russian state television. The chaos brought by Trump into the American system of government is weakening the United States. America is getting weaker and now Russia is taking its place in the Middle East. Suddenly, Russia is starting to seriously penetrate Africa... So when they say that Trump is weakening the United Statesyes, he is. And thats why we love him... The more problems they have, the better it is for us.
Since the current administration is proving to be beneficial for the Kremlin, the Russians are openly contemplating various strategies and conspiracy theories, designed to undermine President Trumps political opponents. Russian state TV host Dmitry Kiselyov named Joe Biden as Trumps most dangerous rival" and urged Trump to keep digging in Ukraine for the sweetest kompromat of all: Proving that Ukrainenot Russiainterfered in the U.S. elections."
Russian conspiracy theories have been reverberating throughout the Trump administration, boosted by Konstantin Kilimnik and Paul Manafort, repeated by President Trump and his personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani. The Russians anticipated an easy victory and the Kremlin-controlled state media pre-emptively rejoiced back in May 2019 when state TV host Evgeny Popov boisterously declared that Trump already won and Ukraine buried Biden as a candidate.
But what was contemplated as a winning strategy backfired spectacularly when Trump bought into that Russian theory. Through Giuliani, Trump pressured Ukraines newly elected President Volodymyr Zelensky for dirt on Biden, andthanks to a whistleblowers initial report on a highly problematic phone call Trump made to Zelensky in Julya formal impeachment inquiry began.
As the evidence of abuse of power continues to mount, the beleaguered commander in chief is reduced to attacking the messenger. Trump repeatedly demanded that lawmakers and the media reveal the identity of the whistleblower, even though congressional testimony from multiple witnesses now being made public repeatedly and consistently supports the original allegations. Russian experts and analysts are openly hoping that the impeachment proceedings will have a side effect that would greatly benefit the Kremlin: Impeachment will turn into the hunt for Ukrainians and cause a serious rift between Kyiv and Washington.
RIA Novosti columnist Ivan Danilov writes:
Some witnesses and sources of information, on which the charges against Donald Trump are based (and for which he, in fact, faces impeachment) are Americans of Ukrainian descent... At the same time, supporters of the current president are already demonstrating a clear willingness to use their background as the proof that they are traitors to America. It isnt as evident now, but after several months of actively promoting the thesis Ukrainians are Clintons agents and the enemies of the United States, who are trying to overthrow Trump, a significant part of American society and the political elite will want nothing to do with Ukraine or the Ukrainian leadership, nor will they harbor any warm feelings toward the Ukrainian diaspora.
Danilov quotes Fox News, Glenn Beck, and The Federalist to demonstrate that a case against Trump is ultimately going to turn into a case against Ukraine.
The possibility of undermining bipartisan support for Ukraines fledgling democracy and its ongoing fight against Russian aggression sounds like a wonderful bonus for the Kremlin, especially sincefor a changeanti-Ukrainian agitprop is now being made in America.
Although rattled by the prospect of Trumps impeachment, Russian state media remains optimistic. Olga Skabeeva, the host of 60 Minutes, the most popular news talk show in Russia, predicted: A Republican majority in the Senate wont allow the president whom we elected, wonderful Donald Trump, to be sent off. Its impossible. He has 90 percent support in the Republican Party.
Russian news reports are assuring their audiences that while impeachment is likely, it wont result in Trumps removal from office and will have no effect on the presidential elections in 2020. Russian media outlets are forecasting that swing states and the Electoral College will assure yet another victory for Donald Trump, which suits the Kremlin to a T.
Seriously the absolute fucking spineless gall of someone who calls himself a libertarian sucking up to authoritarian tendencies so much. Astounding. Shitbag. ---
The left complaining about information leaking? LOL that's rich. They're just sore that the "whistle blower" is a long time anti Trumper with an obvious agenda and this is yet another hoax conspiracy that the wheels just fell off of.
Russian collusion, hoax. Obstruction of justice, hoax. Ukrainian quid pro quo, hoax. Conclusion? durrrrrrrrrrr let's impeach Trump!
Eventually you guys are going to pick up on the pattern here. Maybe. ---
It's the fat upper kitty area, and if you got one I wanna marry ya!
The left complaining about information leaking? LOL that's rich. They're just sore that the "whistle blower" is a long time anti Trumper with an obvious agenda and this is yet another hoax conspiracy that the wheels just fell off of.
Russian collusion, hoax. Obstruction of justice, hoax. Ukrainian quid pro quo, hoax. Conclusion? durrrrrrrrrrr let's impeach Trump!
Eventually you guys are going to pick up on the pattern here. Maybe.
Did you read the article at all or are you just shitposting.
edit: Actually don't even bother answering that. ---
