The Russian propaganda war is just like Trump's 'fake news' crusade — here's how

The constant stream of shouts of "fake news" that started in 2016 pales in comparison to the family debates between pro-Russians being fed a steady stream of propaganda.

Writing for the Daily Beast, conservative Matt Lewis explained that there are a lot of similarities between former President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

He cited a Sunday New York Times report talking about the fights between one Russian father and his son.

“There are Russian soldiers there helping people. They give them warm clothes and food," a father told his son.

"No one is bombing Kyiv, and you should actually be afraid of the Nazis, whom your father fought against," said one Russian woman to her sister, who is witnessing the horrors in Ukraine for herself.

Just like with Trump, the question is raised: who are you going to believe — me or your lying eyes?

"For Ukrainians fighting for their lives, these are not esoteric political disagreements between two family members with a similar claim to the truth," wrote Lewis, perhaps harkening to the Trump debates. "In this case, one group is getting its news from Russian propaganda outlets, while the other group is getting news firsthand—in the form of bombs, bullets, and rockets."

The Times piece doesn't address the resemblance to Trump, but Lewis called it the orange elephant in the room with the glaring comb-over.

He recalled Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL), who told a story last year that his father's cousin said he was disowning the congressman "because I'm in the devil's army now."

Lewis faced the same problem when his extended family moved to support Trump and he moved away. Even his mother voted for Trump despite Lewis' fears of authoritarianism.

"I love my mom, but I was perplexed. If your family member worked in politics or journalism and personally knew many of the players, would you take his or her warnings to heart? Would you trust the lived experience of your flesh-and-blood relative (assuming he or she is a decent person who shares your general values) who has expertise regarding the topic over that of complete strangers on TV or radio?" he asked.

His mother and sister finally came around to simply sitting out 2020 entirely.

That's what Russians and Ukrainians are being forced to endure as Putin's propaganda spreads across the two countries. Putin has already made it illegal to publish anything without the endorsement of his government. He's shutting down social media sites and international news outlets. Trump talked about loosening laws so that he could sue more people who spoke ill of him, but it never happened.

Lewis called it the "Fox News effect," but he warned that the restrictions of information mean that people should be kind in the debates with Putin believers, who don't live outside of the echo chamber.

Read his full column at the Daily Beast.