Authoritarianism expert ridicules 'pathetic' NRA for being so easily suckered by the Russians

Appearing on MSNBC on Saturday, an expert on authoritarian regimes mocked the National Rifle Association for getting mixed up with confessed Kremlin agent Maria Butina, drawing their finances into scrutiny by special counsel Robert Mueller's investigators.

Speaking with AMJoy host Joy Reid, Sarah Kendzior called the NRA -- and Republicans general -- "pathetic."

"What do you think of this scheme, that it seems to be a multi-national scheme, to use this issue of gun rights, which, by the way, are not even in Russia, they don't even have this, to get wheedled into the Republican Party?" host Reid asked.

"Its a pretty pathetic look for the NRA and the Republicans that they are, on the one hand, this easily manipulated, but also complicit," Kendzior said. "There are voluntary participants in this. They are people who will be indicted themselves for failing to register as foreign agents."

"And it is obvious their loyalty is to themselves, to their wallets, to Russian operatives, and possibly to foreign countries," she added.

You can watch the video below via MSNBC: