Russia Was Meddling in the Republican Primary for Trump
There is evidence that Russia was also influencing the Republican primary for Trump. First, there is evidence that Russia was meddling with the Marco Rubio Presidential campaign. There was testimony before the Senate Intelligence Committee that Marco Rubio was the target of a Russian disinformation campaign during the Republican primary. "Russia's overt media outlets sought to sideline opponents on both sides of the political spectrum," said Clint Watts, a fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute and former FBI Special Agent. www.wired.com/… ”Mr. Watts also said he believed that Mr. Rubio had been the target of Russian campaigns to discredit him * * *.
“The Kremlin's election-meddling campaign ramped up in August 2015 [during the primaries] and featured methods like hacking, leaks, and information warfare, Clint Watts, a former FBI special agent, told the Senate Intelligence Committee. Watts testified during the panel's first hearing of its probe into Russian election interference. Those measures adversely affected several GOP candidates, Watts said.” “After the hearing, Mr. Watts said that Mr. Rubio had not been the only target, asserting that [Russian] negative online campaigns had cropped up at key moments against other candidates, including former Gov. Jeb Bush of Florida and Senator Lindsey Graham, Republican of South Carolina.” www.nytimes.com/…
Mr. Watts testified that Russia’s effort during the primary was overall about "pumping up Trump while tamping down the others." Watts also testified that “other Republican presidential candidates were placed at a disadvantage by [Russia’s] constant flow of pieces that painted Trump in a positive light.” www.mcclatchydc.com/… Moreover, "[a]t times when they had a shot, they [Russia] would publish an article that was detrimental [to the other Republican candidates]." www.weeklystandard.com/...
Moreover, I have a good friend that worked on the Cruz campaign who told me stories about their online groups constantly being infiltrated by people with Russian names that would pose as Cruz supporters. They noticed that these “supporters” would always follow the same pattern. They would initially pose as Cruz supporters, then they would try to cause dissension in the group, criticize Cruz, and would try to turn the group’s support toward Trump.
They eventually kicked these individuals out of their Cruz groups, but then these individuals would return with Americanized names, but wrote in broken English and would likewise use the same tactics try to turn the supporters toward Trump. This happened with such frequency during the primaries that they started researching these individuals. They noticed that all of these people had new Facebook accounts with zero or very few friends and either Russian-sounding names or they wrote in a very broken English. She said that the numbers of Russians infiltrating the Cruz primary campaign for Trump was astounding.
My friend also noticed that there were Russian “autobots” for Trump during the primaries that would post the same or similarly worded comments that were pro-Trump on a daily basis. Often there would be comments posted or tweets by individuals with Russian-sounding names or written in broken English in support of Trump. She said it was like Russia and Trump were coordinating with a daily pro-Trump talking point and the “autobots” or a computer program of fake people would fill the internet with that pro-Trump talking point. Since then a study has found that at least 1/3 of pro-Trump tweets were generated by computer bots and that the pro-Trump computer bots were being used to spread fake news. www.aol.com… money.cnn.com/… www.thedailybeast.com/…
Why Was Russia Meddling in the Republican Primary for Trump?
Putin is an opportunist and saw that the Far-Right felt marginalized worldwide. The Far-Right is against globalism, multiculturalism, and homosexuality. They promote identity politics and want ethically and religiously pure nations. They are usually proponents of an extreme version of Christianity and against the acceptance of other religions. In America, the Far-Right felt marginalized by establishment Republicans who had essentially accepted globalism, multiculturalism, gays, and other religions. Putin saw an opportunity to cultivate a relationship with Far-Right Nationalists to weaken Western alliances and weaken the West. By supporting Nationalist candidates, it serves Putin’s interest to break apart Western global alliances like the EU and Nato and weaken the West.
The EU has sanctions against Russia and is an economic, political, and military check on Russian power. Nato’s military alliance likewise provides a check on Russian power. There is strength in unity against Russia and the EU and Nato are counter balances to Russian power. When each country falls to Nationalist parties and starts pushing a their “country first” agenda, it weakens cooperation and alliances between countries. Putin wants the EU to fall apart and Europe and the West to devolve into Nationalistic identity states that are hostile toward each other. Putin cultivated alliances with the Far-Right to help them get into power and to help him break apart the EU, weaken Nato, and allow for the rise of Russian power.
Putin Established Himself As the Leader of Far-Right Nationalists Worldwide
To cultivate these relationships with the Far-Right, Putin began a manipulation campaign years ago to establish himself as the leader of Far-Right worldwide and the Far-Right, feeling that they had been marginalized in the West, accepted him with open arms:
- Here is an article from 2013 on how Putin was working to establish himself as the worldwide leader of Traditionalist, Christian Conservatism.
- Here is another article on how Putin managed to position himself as the worldwide leader of the Christian Right.
- Here is an article on how Putin is using the Far-Right worldwide to achieve his goals.
- Here is an article on Why Europe’s Far-Right is on the Kremlin’s Side.
- Here is an article on how the 45 Right Wing Parties in Europe are aligned with and tied to Russia.
- Russia’s Fifth Column: the Far-Right.
- Pat Buchanan and other Christian Alt-Right leaders have explicitly and openly embraced Putin. Buchanan explained on his website that the old battle was East vs. West (Russia vs. America and Europe), but the new battle is Traditionalist Nationalists (Russia and the Christian Alt-Right) vs. Western Liberalism (liberal social values, multiculturalism, multi-religions, Islam, and globalism). Here is Pat Buchanan, on his own website, asking if Putin is one of them as saying “yes” and another where Pat Buchanan asks whose side is God on and answering, Putin's:
- Matt Drudge embraced Putin in 2013 in his tweet:
- Matthew Heimbach, another prominent figure in the Far-Right, recently told Business Insider that “Russia is the leader of the free world."
- Neo-Nazi Alt-Right leader Richard Spencer also embraced Putin saying that Russia is "the most powerful White Power in the World."
- Here is an article from the Worldwide Catholic Network on how Russia had positioned itself as "the Light of the World" on Christian values during a Pro-Family Christian conference that they held in Moscow. Russia Positions Herself as a “Light to the World” During Pro-Family Conference.
- Here are other articles about how Putin positioned himself as the leader of the American and European Alt-Right, Christian Nationalist groups: 'A model for civilization': Putin's Russia has emerged as 'a beacon for nationalists' and the American alt-right, Why Some Conservatives Have Taken to Putin, and The Religious Right Has an Unholy Crush on Vladimir Putin.
Putin Weaponized the Election Processes to get Pro-Russian Far-Right Nationalists Elected Throughout the West & to Try to Break Apart the European Union
Russia began weaponizing the election processes throughout the West and provided money, support, propaganda, and disinformation campaigns to get Far-Right Nationalists elected throughout the West. Russia openly funded Far-right National Front party Presidential candidate Marine Le Pen’s campaign in France. Russia gave funding to the Far-right Nordic Resistance party in Norway. Putin openly signed “cooperation agreements” with the Far-Right parties in Austria and Italy. The Far-Right party in Austria was openly funded by Russian oligarchs. Russia has been using disinformation campaigns in Germany to help support the Far-Right parties there. Russia has likewise been using disinformation campaigns in the Netherlands to support the Far-Right parties in the Netherlands.
Russia has strong ties with the Far-Right Ukip party in Great Britain and one of its leaders, Nigel Farage. It is not surprising that the Far-Right Ukip party was the architect of the Brexit campaign to have Britain leave the European Union. Farage has been on Russian propaganda T.V. so many times that they offered him his own show. Steve Bannon, Trump’s Chief White House Strategist, is good friends with Farage and Bannon opened and used Breitbart London to push for Brexit. Farage credits Bannon for winning the Brexit vote. Farage campaigned with Trump in the U.S. Here are a few articles on this:
Trump’s Campaign and Cabinet Advisors Are Self-Proclaimed Far-Right Nationalists
Trump is not an establishment Republican. Trump’s populist and America First rhetoric are part of a Nationalist political ideology. Just like on the Left where you have establishment Democrats and then the Far Left Socialists and Communists, on the Right you have establishment and main stream Republicans and then the Far-Right Nationalists. Trump’s ideology falls squarely within the Far-Right. Trump’s disdain for the EU, Nato, and immigration are part of a larger Far-Right Nationalist ideology. Trump’s campaign was filled pro-Russia Nationalists and his cabinet is likewise filled with self-proclaimed Far-Right pro-Russia Nationalists.
Steve Bannon, Trump’s Chief White House Strategist, is a self-proclaimed Far-Right “Nationalist.” Bannon formerly ran Breitbart News which he proudly proclaimed that he made into the “platform for the alt-right [Far-Right].” www.cnn.com/… Below is an image from Steve Bannon’s Breitbart News depicting Trump as being part of the Far-Right and the conductor of Trump’s train being the Far-Right. The Far-Right uses a frog as their campaign symbol like Republicans use the elephant and Democrats use a donkey.
Likewise, Trump’s Senior Policy Advisor, Steven Miller, is a Far-Right Nationalist. www.theatlantic.com/… The Deputy Assistant to Trump, Sebastian Gorka, is an open supporter of Far-Right Nationalist, Neo-Fascist groups. forward.com/… foreignpolicy.com/… www.vanityfair.com/… Michael Anton, the White House Director of Strategic Communications, is likewise anti-globalism and anti-immigration Far-Right populist, Nationalist. www.theatlantic.com/…
Prior to becoming Trump’s Secretary of State, Putin gave Rex Tillerson Russia’s highest honor in 2013, the Order of Friendship. www.washingtonpost.com/… Michael Flynn, prior to becoming Trump’s National Security Advisor, attended Putin’s celebration of RT, Russian propaganda T.V., and was seated next to Putin, raising eyebrows in our intelligence community. www.politico.com/… Paul Manafort, Trump’s former campaign Manager, was found to have been getting secret payments to push pro-Russian stances in the U.S. www.cnbc.com/… Carter Page, who was Trump’s Energy Advisor, lived in Russia for years and was heavily invested in Russian State-Owned Energy.
The Russian & Far-Right Attacks on Establishment Republicans Continue Today
Don’t think the meddling has ended. Russia and the Far-Right have an agenda and they will not let the establishment Republicans get in their way. Bannon and Russia want to bring down the establishment Republicans and weaken Western globalists. Steve Bannon has long stated that he wanted to destroy establishment Republicans and take the party over and turn it into a Far-Right Nationalist party. www.buzzfeed.com/… Below is an image from Steve Bannon’s Breitbart News showing how the Alt-Right frog is rising to destroy the establishment Republican party.
Breitbart, InfoWars, and the Far-Right media are coordinating with Russia on fake news and disinformation campaigns about members of the Republican establishment that get in their way. www.mcclatchydc.com/…
A recent example of this is the false story Breitbart reported after John McCain quipped that “Russia probably saw the secret healthcare bill” alleging that George Soros is funding John McCain. www.breitbart.com/… These stories have been debunked, yet Russian media and Breitbart keep trying to smear McCain and any of their perceived adversaries with the fake news. www.washingtonexaminer.com/…
In another fake news attempt to smear John McCain in retaliation for him pushing the Russia investigation, the Gateway Pundit site, which is a notoriously inaccurate Far-Right site that pushes fake news, conspiracies, and propaganda, reported that: “Wikileaks released documents this week following the sudden death of Russian UN ambassador Vitaly Churkin” that showed that John McCain illegally asked for campaign donations from the Russian Ambassador (the same ambassador that died suddenly). They falsely reported, “This globalist shrieks about Russian influence while he himself participated in it.” www.aol.com/…
As background information, the Gateway Pundit’s White House corespondent, Lucian Wintrich, promoted a White Nationalist rally which featured as a special guest, holocaust denier and racist Matt Forney. www.mediamatters.org/… Moreover, there was a recent event at Columbia University billed as “The New White House Correspondents in the Trump Era” which featured Wintrich of the Gateway Pundit and Andrew Feinberg of Sputnick News, the other Russian-backed propaganda arm, as panelists together and as representing the “new era” of White House Correspondents under Trump. www.cjr.org/…
Researchers have identified 200 Far-Right News sites in the U.S. that echo Russian propaganda pieces to Americans. www.thewrap.com/… One of those sites is a Trump favorite site, Alex Jones’ InfoWars. www.mediamatters.org/… Trump appeared on InfoWars and praised Alex Jones’ “amazing” reputation. Alex Jones has been a guest numerous times on Russian propaganda T.V., RT. www.mediamatters.org/… During one of his many appearances on Russian propaganda T.V., the RT T.V. host told Alex Jones how much Putin loves him and what he does on InfoWars. The host told Alex that “Putin’s a big listener of his show” and that the Kremlin partially “modeled RT off of his InfoWars network.” www.alternet.org/… Alex Jones and his InfoWars site have been found to be pro-Trump, pro-Putin, and to echo Russian propaganda and fake news to Americans. www.mcclatchydc.com/… Moreover, Trump himself has been found by counter-terrorism experts to “parrot” Russian propaganda pieces. thinkprogress.org/…
Not only has Russia mounted disinformation and fake news campaigns against establishment Republicans, Marco Rubio testified that Russia has attempted to hack his email accounts and the accounts of his staffers. www.wired.com/… www.cnn.com/… Moreover, Lindsay Graham stated that his campaign account was in fact hacked by the Russians. www.cnn.com/… This is an incredibly serious matter for American democracy. Who knows which other establishment Republican’s accounts have been hacked by Russia and whether have been or can be subject to Russian blackmail.
Breitbart, InfoWars, and the Far-Right media have been purveyors of Russian disinformation campaigns and fake news not just against Democrats, but also against establishment Republicans. We know that Russia’s meddling continues today and that the Far-Right Nationalists here are coordinating with Russia in their meddling. Establishment Republicans need to realize that the coordinated attacks from Russia and the Far-Right are going to continue and will only worsen if they if they fail to stand up and do something about Russian meddling now. Russia’s monetary and other support for the Far-Right media arms in this country is only strengthening. If Republicans ignore this and allow Russia and the Far-Right to get away with portraying this as “fake news,” they will do so at their own peril.