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The Kremlin Owns Mike Johnson [TEASER]
01/26/24 • 19 min
1 Listener
Remember this shocking story from the 2016 election? The Trump campaign gutted Ukraine aid in the official RNC platform. Today this is mainstream for the GOP, with McConnell folding on Ukraine aid. This is catastrophic for the US and the world.
The recent transformation of the GOP into the Party of Putin began gradually, with only a few in Congress, like former Congressman Dana Rohrabacher, who the Kremlin considered an asset, according to the FBI. In 2018, current House Speaker Mike Johnson took tens of thousands of dollars in dark money campaign donations linked to a Russian oligarch close to Putin who was part of the larger Kremlin operation exposed in the Mueller Report. The oligarch is Konstantin Nikolaev, who bankrolled Kremlin spy/GOP honeypot Maria Butina, who was arrested as part of the Mueller investigation, after pretending to be in love with NRA/GOP operative Paul Erickson.
After Mike Johnson got caught taking donations linked to Nikolaev and other Russians (Oops!), he gave it back. But it was part of a wider operation used by the Russians in countries around the world to entrench their power in, known as “the golden handcuffs.”
Johnson blames other extremists in his party, like concentration camp guard Marjorie Taylor Greene, for "slowing down" Ukraine aid. They're not slowing down aid; they're blocking it, to help their financial backers in the Kremlin win.
Johnson and Trump are part of the Kremlin's long game. They develop their assets, then spread their influence deeper and deeper. This began with a few fringe people, like Rohrabacher. Now it's mainstream. This is state capture.
What happens if we lose our country? No place is safe. If you think things are bad now, the entire world will be forced to live under the Kremlin's mafia state: violence and terror win, deciding everything. No more laws and elections.
Many Republicans watched in shock as the Kremlin hijacked their party. But it was Republican operations, like Citizens United, that helped Russian dark money entrench the Kremlin's influence in the United States.
More Americans must wake up that the loss of Ukraine is also the loss of our democracy. What's happening in Ukraine and the U,S. is an ongoing crime of state capture. The KGB-style operation started decades ago with Trump as a Russian asset. Where will we be if we and our institutions don’t stop it?
Call your rep in Congress today to demand aid to Ukraine (202) 224-3121!
This week’s bonus episode includes Andrea sharing her own stories of navigating the misogynistic labyrinth of Hollywood, and why, despite some big wins for women and representation (Yay Lily Gladstone and America Ferrera! Boo for no Fantasia nomination for The Color Purple!), why the Barbie Oscar snub matters. Olga Lautman, a Russian mafia expert and the co-host of the Kremlin Files podcast, continues her conversation with Andrea about what America will look like if Trump, and Putin, win the 2024 election.
***
Mark your calendars! Tristan Snell, the prosecutor who led New York State's case against Trump and Trump University and the author of "Taking Down Trump: 12 Rules for Prosecuting Donald Trump by Someone Who Did It Successfully," will join Andrea for a live-taping of Gaslit Nation for our community of listeners on February 12 at noon ET. An event link will be sent to our Patreon community at the Truth-teller level or higher on the day of the event. We look forward to seeing you there! To join us, sign up at Patreon.com/Gaslit!
Show Notes:
Call your rep in Congress today to demand aid to Ukraine (202) 224-3121!
CORRECTION: There appear to be no East Asian Barbies in the Barbie movie. There is a Southeast Asian Barbie played by Ritu Arya.
Mike Johnson's Campaign Contributions From Company Tied to Russia https://www.newsweek.com/house-speaker-mike-johnson-donations-russia-butina-1838501
2016 RNC Delegate: Trump Directed Change To Party Platform On Ukraine Support https://www.npr.org/2017/12/04/568310790/2016-rnc-delegate-trump-directed-change-to-party-platform-on-ukraine-suppo...
Remember this shocking story from the 2016 election? The Trump campaign gutted Ukraine aid in the official RNC platform. Today this is mainstream for the GOP, with McConnell folding on Ukraine aid. This is catastrophic for the US and the world.
The recent transformation of the GOP into the Party of Putin began gradually, with only a few in Congress, like former Congressman Dana Rohrabacher, who the Kremlin considered an asset, according to the FBI. In 2018, current House Speaker Mike Johnson took tens of thousands of dollars in dark money campaign donations linked to a Russian oligarch close to Putin who was part of the larger Kremlin operation exposed in the Mueller Report. The oligarch is Konstantin Nikolaev, who bankrolled Kremlin spy/GOP honeypot Maria Butina, who was arrested as part of the Mueller investigation, after pretending to be in love with NRA/GOP operative Paul Erickson.
After Mike Johnson got caught taking donations linked to Nikolaev and other Russians (Oops!), he gave it back. But it was part of a wider operation used by the Russians in countries around the world to entrench their power in, known as “the golden handcuffs.”
Johnson blames other extremists in his party, like concentration camp guard Marjorie Taylor Greene, for "slowing down" Ukraine aid. They're not slowing down aid; they're blocking it, to help their financial backers in the Kremlin win.
Johnson and Trump are part of the Kremlin's long game. They develop their assets, then spread their influence deeper and deeper. This began with a few fringe people, like Rohrabacher. Now it's mainstream. This is state capture.
What happens if we lose our country? No place is safe. If you think things are bad now, the entire world will be forced to live under the Kremlin's mafia state: violence and terror win, deciding everything. No more laws and elections.
Many Republicans watched in shock as the Kremlin hijacked their party. But it was Republican operations, like Citizens United, that helped Russian dark money entrench the Kremlin's influence in the United States.
More Americans must wake up that the loss of Ukraine is also the loss of our democracy. What's happening in Ukraine and the U,S. is an ongoing crime of state capture. The KGB-style operation started decades ago with Trump as a Russian asset. Where will we be if we and our institutions don’t stop it?
Call your rep in Congress today to demand aid to Ukraine (202) 224-3121!
This week’s bonus episode includes Andrea sharing her own stories of navigating the misogynistic labyrinth of Hollywood, and why, despite some big wins for women and representation (Yay Lily Gladstone and America Ferrera! Boo for no Fantasia nomination for The Color Purple!), why the Barbie Oscar snub matters. Olga Lautman, a Russian mafia expert and the co-host of the Kremlin Files podcast, continues her conversation with Andrea about what America will look like if Trump, and Putin, win the 2024 election.
***
Mark your calendars! Tristan Snell, the prosecutor who led New York State's case against Trump and Trump University and the author of "Taking Down Trump: 12 Rules for Prosecuting Donald Trump by Someone Who Did It Successfully," will join Andrea for a live-taping of Gaslit Nation for our community of listeners on February 12 at noon ET. An event link will be sent to our Patreon community at the Truth-teller level or higher on the day of the event. We look forward to seeing you there! To join us, sign up at Patreon.com/Gaslit!
Show Notes:
Call your rep in Congress today to demand aid to Ukraine (202) 224-3121!
CORRECTION: There appear to be no East Asian Barbies in the Barbie movie. There is a Southeast Asian Barbie played by Ritu Arya.
Mike Johnson's Campaign Contributions From Company Tied to Russia https://www.newsweek.com/house-speaker-mike-johnson-donations-russia-butina-1838501
2016 RNC Delegate: Trump Directed Change To Party Platform On Ukraine Support https://www.npr.org/2017/12/04/568310790/2016-rnc-delegate-trump-directed-change-to-party-platform-on-ukraine-suppo...
Previous Episode
Fani Willis vs. Trump: The Nazis Strike Back
Mark your calendars! Tristan Snell, the prosecutor who led New York State's case against Trump and Trump University and the author of "Taking Down Trump: 12 Rules for Prosecuting Donald Trump by Someone Who Did It Successfully," will join Andrea for a live-taping of Gaslit Nation for our community of listeners on February 12 at noon ET. An event link will be sent to our Patreon community at the Truth-teller level or higher on the day of the event. To join us, sign up at Patreon.com/Gaslit!
***
Republicans have once again refused to stop Trump: Nikki Haley lost the New Hampshire primary, and the Trump Klan is moving ahead towards the GOP nomination. Why might that be? According to Harvard psychologist Martha Stout, author of "The Sociopath Next Door," one in twenty-five people are sociopaths. Trump’s cult has galvanized and emboldened them, unleashing a toxic sludge that threatens to drown our democracy.
In this week’s episode, Andrea is joined by Olga Lautman, a Russian mafia expert and co-host of the Kremlin Files podcast, to discuss why Republicans are goose-stepping in line to support a shameless wannabe dictator, why the media continues to fail us and normalize this dangerous career criminal and Russian asset, and what can be done about it.
Andrea and Olga also debate over the growing attacks against Fani Willis, the Fulton County, Georgia DA who built a strong case against Trump and his goon squad for trying to overturn our election in 2020. Michael Roman, one of the 18 co-defendants in her case and a professional GOP opposition researcher, is trying to get Willis removed, which would put the entire case in jeopardy. Without any evidence, Roman claims that Willis is in a romantic relationship with Nathan Wade, a lawyer she hired to her team of prosecutors. (Who cares!) This is a clear case of disinformation warfare to help Trump once again escape accountability. While there’s nothing illegal done by Willis or Wade, this is the new “Hunter Biden’s laptop” – red meat for the Fox News echo chamber. Check the show notes for trusted sources that cut through the gaslighting against Willis, who must remain in her post.
As for who will actually stop Trump, that’s us and our Gaslit Nation phone banks this fall.
Show Notes:
OPENING CLIP: Natasha Alford, author of American Negra, and anchor of The Grio https://twitter.com/SymoneDSanders/status/1747731236196614497?t=VhKn8V81n1j_qz6Hi-er6Q&s=19
NEW YORK TIMES: Trump Prosecutor in Georgia Seeks to Avoid Testifying in Colleague’s Divorce Case. Fani T. Willis was subpoenaed in the divorce case of a colleague she hired to manage the Trump prosecution in Georgia, with whom she is accused of having a romantic relationship.
FROM THE NEW YORK TIMES ARTICLE: “The filing also stated that [Nathan Wade’s soon to be ex wife] Ms. Wade had ‘conspired’ with ‘interested parties’ in the Trump case ‘to annoy, embarrass and oppress’ Ms. Willis. It noted that Ms. Willis had been subpoenaed around the same time that Mr. Roman’s lawyer, Ashleigh Merchant, filed motions seeking to unseal the divorce records and, in the Trump case, to remove the two prosecutors. The filing also said that Ms. Wade had acknowledged having an affair with a longtime friend of Mr. Wade’s, and that the couple had agreed their marriage was ‘irretrievably broken’ as early as 2017, before Mr. Wade and Ms. Willis had met.” https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/18/us/fani-willis-trump-georgia-prosecutors.html?campaign_id=60&emc=edit_na_20240118&instance_id=0&nl=breaking-news&ref=cta®i_id=48614702&segment_id=155695&user_id=097a378032011d6e8be1570cdce0a176
Ruth Marcus in The Washington Post: Fani Willis's Gift to Trump: “As a legal matter, the allegations about a romantic relationship between Fulton County District Attorney Fani T. Willis and the chief prosecutor in the election interference case against former president Donald Trump are irrelevant. Even if all the claims are true, they wouldn’t imperil the prosecution or justify dismissing the indictment, as one of Trump’s co-defendants is seeking.” https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2024/01/22/fani-willis-gift-trump/
7 questions about the future of Fani Willis in the Georgia election interference case https://www.wabe.org/7-questions-about-the-future-of-fani-willis-in-the-georgia-election-interference-case/
Steve Bannon Thought Trump Had Early Dementia and Pushed to Remove Him, '60 Minutes' Producer Claims https://people.com/politics/steve-bannon-thought-donald-trump-had-early-stage-dementia-book-claims/
The Dangerous Case of ...
Next Episode
Queen of Auschwitz
In this week's episode, Andrea and Terrell Starr from the Black Diplomats Podcast and Substack discuss Jonathan Glazer’s chilling Holocaust drama, The Zone of Interest. They break down the gender politics of the "Queen of Auschwitz," past and present. They also fact check Donald Trump’s latest fascist campaign video aimed at energizing authoritarian voters, and share actions to take to build a better world.
Later this week, watch out for a short episode where Andrea and Terrell discuss the disinformation campaign against Fani Willis. This far-right hit job, orchestrated by Trump and his goon squad, aims to undermine her airtight case in Georgia. For more on the investigations and prosecutions of the Traitor-in-Chief, join Gaslit Nation for a special live taping on Monday, February 12, at 12 pm ET, featuring Tristan Snell—the prosecutor who led New York State's case against Trump and Trump University, and the author of the new book Taking Down Trump: 12 Rules for Prosecuting Donald Trump by Someone Who Did It Successfully. An event link will be sent to our Patreon community at the Truth-teller level or higher on the day of the event. To join us, sign up at Patreon.com/Gaslit!
This week’s bonus episode for our supporters at the Truth-teller level and higher on Patreon will be Part I of the Gaslit Nation Social Media Workshop, designed for those who hate social media and miss the old Twitter. Organizer Rachel Brody, who works with various campaigns to help get out the vote and leading brands, joins us to share the landscape of social media today and how to leverage the power of your voice in a world that needs you. Our regular Q&As will return in February, so be sure to send in your questions!
Thank you to everyone who supports the show – we could not make Gaslit Nation without you!
Show Notes:
Black Diplomats Substack: https://terrellstarr.substack.com/
Black Diplomats Podcast: https://www.blackdiplomats.net/
Song of the Month: 'I Don't Wanna Be Dismembered' by th’sheridans. You can find more of th'sheridans' music on all streaming platforms and on Bandcamp at thsheridans.bandcamp.com/
Submit Your Song!: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1-d_DWNnDQFYUMXueYcX5ZVsA5t2RN09N8PYUQQ8koq0/edit?ts=5fee07f6&gxids=7628
Opening Clip: https://twitter.com/VABVOX/status/1750013520333168971
TED Talk: “Your Creative Superpowers Can Help Protect Democracy” by Sofia Ongele https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LPW5Zx3ntZo
Check out Tristan Snell’s new book Taking Down Trump: 12 Rules for Prosecuting Donald Trump by Someone Who Did It Successfully https://bookshop.org/p/books/taking-down-trump-12-rules-for-prosecuting-donald-trump-by-someone-who-did-it-successfully-tristan-snell/20845381?ean=9781685891251
Trump ordered to pay additional $83.3 million to E. Jean Carroll in defamation case https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/trump-must-pay-additional-83-million-to-e-jean-carroll-in-defamation-case-jury-decides
Psychologist of the Nazi mind: As the "Nuremberg psychologist," Gustave Gilbert had unfettered access to Hitler's leading henchmen. https://www.apa.org/monitor/2016/05/nazi-mind
Trump’s Latest Fascist Campaign Video: https://twitter.com/ZaleskiLuke/status/1750371080357675420?t=xagoPov-ccYKR2gKy2WAjg&s=19
E. Jean Carroll Case: Judge Kaplan, to jurors: "My advice to you is that you never disclose that you were on this jury." https://twitter.com/eorden/status/1750998393910919556?t=T5hJpIv9kVS6_dVLkXjTYQ&s=19
Movie Trailer: Jonathan Glazer’s The Zone of Interest https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-vfg3KkV54
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