Republicans aren't just downplaying Russian propaganda anymore — they're actively embracing it

In a damning column for The Daily Beast, Julia Davis noted how the Republican Party is going beyond simply downplaying the implications of how Russian interference in the 2016 election put President Donald Trump in power. They are now actively promoting Russian propaganda to the American people — and Russian media personalities are delighted.

"When Sen. John N. Kennedy of Louisiana went with a group of fellow Republican lawmakers to celebrate the Fourth of July in Moscow (yes, Moscow) last year, they met with Russian counterparts in what the Russian press described as a 'secret room,'" wrote Davis. "Konstantin Kosachev, chairman of Russia’s foreign affairs committee, said Kennedy had promised to deliver a 'tough message' about Russia’s interference in U.S. elections, but when it was his turn to speak 'he had absolutely nothing to say.'"

"When Kennedy was interviewed Sunday by Chris Wallace on Fox News, he gave us a striking example of synchronicity. Kennedy, who was educated at Vanderbilt, the University of Virginia, and Oxford University’s Magdalen College, and ought to know better, readily echoed a fable spawned by the Russian security services," continued Davis. "'Who do you believe was responsible for hacking the DNC [Democratic National Committee] and [Hillary] Clinton campaign computers, their emails?' Wallace asked. 'Was it Russia or Ukraine?' To which Kennedy replied, 'I don’t know, nor do you, nor do any others.' Wallace fired back: 'Let me just interrupt to say the entire intelligence community says it was Russia.' Kennedy wobbled: 'Right, but it could also be Ukraine.'"

This is exactly the narrative that has been promoted by the Russian government for years now, both to deflect blame from themselves and to try to turn the world against a strategic ally of the United States whose territory Russia happens to be violently occupying.

"Gone are the days when the GOP dared to confront the Kremlin, and we should keep in mind that prominent Russian politicians and media figures rejoiced at the death of the late, great Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) last year — presciently predicting that no one in the Republican Party would be able to live up to his legacy," wrote Davis. "Appearing on the Russian state television show 60 Minutes in 2018, Karen Shakhnazarov opined: 'Global empires like the United States are destroyed from within... The U.S. is deteriorating. They won’t find other fighters like McCain. There won’t be any others like him. This process is irreversible.'"

Indeed, wrote Davis, Russian state TV is now openly cheering on the actions of Republican lawmakers.

"Last Thursday, South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham (once a close friend of McCain) launched a probe into former Vice President Joe Biden’s dealings with Ukraine," wrote Davis. "His efforts were lauded almost instantaneously on the Russian state television program Vesti Nedeli. And lo and behold, that very same day Russian state media announced the alleged beginning by the Ukrainian parliament, or Rada, of an investigation into the Ukrainian energy company Burisma as well as Hunter Biden, who sat on its board, and his father. Vesti couldn’t hide its excitement with a segment entitled 'Rada FINALLY sits up... Opens Investigation of Hunter Biden!' Vesti added: 'It’s hardly possible to get back the money, but will likely mess up Joe Biden’s election prospects.'"

In reality, there are no criminal cases against the Bidens. But, as Davis noted, "Multiple actors in the United States, Russia, and Ukraine have been promoting the idea of investigating Ukraine’s alleged election meddling, as well as the inquiry about the Bidens. The calls for such measures have been promoted especially by Ukrainian lawmakers known for their pro-Russian views, including Yuri Boyko, the co-chairman of Ukraine’s biggest pro-Russian party."

Meanwhile, Davis said, the relationship appears to go in the other direction as well — Russia is repeating Republican propaganda. "Russian state television channel Rossiya-1 has dispatched its reporter Denis Davydov to broadcast directly from the impeachment hearings and, probably this should not be a surprise, Russian state-media coverage sounded eerily like much of  Fox News, echoing the disingenuous claims by Trump supporters that there was no pressure against Ukraine and no 'quid pro quo.'"

"For the first time in modern history, in the era of Trump, Russian state television is more than happy to support the Republicans — and for a good reason," Davis concluded.

You can read more here.