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Several right-wing media figures were paid large sums to promote pro-Kremlin content, according to a US Justice Department indictment released yesterday.
Benny Johnson, Tim Pool, Dave Rubin, and Lauren Southern were among those paid large sums, almost $10 million in total since last October, by Russia to promote content friendly to Russian President Vladimir Putin's interests and in opposition to Ukraine's fight against Russia's invasion.
The money was funneled through Tenet Media in Tennessee, founded by two other right-wing media figures, Lauren Chen and her husband Liam Donovan. Chen has worked for Turning Point USA and BlazeTV. Johnson, Pool, Rubin and Southern say they were victims of this scam, and the indictment states that as well. Chen and Donovan seem to have known where the money came from. Tenet produced video content for these influencers, which were also published to Tenet's YouTube channel, which has over 16.6 million views.
It makes sense to me that these MAGA-influencers would not have been told where the money came from. Yet, shouldn't they have suspected something when they're getting $100k per week to promote Putin talking points? They were either willing to look away for the payout or easily duped. In either case, we shouldn't be looking to people like that as reliable sources of news and information.
The indictment came along with Attorney General Merrick Garland announcing a broader effort to reduce the Kremlin's attempts to influence this year's election. “The American people are entitled to know when a foreign power engages in political activities or seeks to influence public discourse,” Garland said. Additionally, NYT reports, "American spy agencies have assessed that the Kremlin favors former President Donald J. Trump over Vice President Kamala Harris in the November contest, seeing him as more skeptical of U.S. support for Ukraine."
Sources for additional reading: DOJ, NPR, Axios, The xxxxxx.
Tucker: Nazis Not So Bad
Speaking of pro-Putin right-wing media figures, Tucker Carlson promoted an armchair historian who claims the Holocaust just sort of happened by accident and Hitler wasn't so bad after all.
The former Fox News host featured Darryl Cooper on his podcast show, a self-proclaimed historian with no academic credentials. Cooper claimed that the real villain of World War II wasn't Hitler or Mussolini, it was Winston Churchill. He also claimed that the Holocaust, which claimed the lives of 6 million Jews, was done as a humane act. “[The Nazis] are saying: ‘We can’t feed these people, we don’t have the food to feed these people.’ One of them says [in a letter]: ‘Rather than wait for them to slowly starve this winter, wouldn’t it be more humane to quickly finish them all off now?’” Cooper said.
Carlson shared the interview on X, claiming Cooper "may be the best and most honest popular historian in the United States." Elon Musk shared Carlson's post, writing, "Very interesting. Worth watching," then later deleted the post.
I hope these two episodes will serve as a wake-up call for many who are consuming these sorts of extremist and fabulist right-wing media sources. Do you have friends or family members who watch any of these influencers? Now may be a good time to ask them what they think about these recent events.
What Else We're Reading
Arizona Republic: "Arizona Sen. Wendy Rogers posts the Nazi rallying cry ... and no one is shocked"
For the first time since the Nazis terrorized Europe, Germany’s hard-right party has won a state election.
No less than Arizona’s own state Sen. Wendy Rogers celebrated the extremists’ win on Sunday … with the anthem of Adolf Hitler.
We in Arizona are shocked … not at all.
“Deutschland, Deutschland u¨ber alles,” Rogers posted on social media, after the Alternative for Germany party racked up wins in two state elections over the weekend.
Adam Kinzinger: “The First To Break In: Inside the Role of Michael Sparks and the Continuing Fight for Accountability After January 6”
With Trump and the Republican Party preparing to contest the results of the upcoming election, it’s essential that his followers understand that police, prosecutors, and judges are capable of identifying and pursuing hundreds, if not thousands, who might attempt a repeat of January 6. The challenge here will be reaching these "rioters-in-waiting," many of whom avoid mainstream news sources and rely on rabidly pro-Trump outlets like Fox News, NewsMax, and internet conspiracy theory sites.
John Inazu: “Introducing Evangelicals in a Diverse Democracy”
My friend Eboo Patel is the founder and president of Interfaith America. Eboo and I have worked together on a number of initiatives over the years, and I am pleased today to introduce our latest endeavor: Evangelicals in a Diverse Democracy.
Interfaith America exists to inspire, equip, and connect leaders and institutions to unlock the potential of America’s religious diversity. And Evangelicals in a Diverse Democracy seeks to bring more evangelicals into this interfaith movement without sacrificing or compromising their beliefs or convictions.
Politico: “Convicted fraudsters launch AI lobbying firm using fake names”
A Washington startup pitched as a service to integrate AI into lobbying is covertly run by a pair of well-known, far-right conspiracy theorists and convicted felons who are using pseudonyms in their new business, according to four former employees as well as photo and email evidence.
Politico: “Former GOP officials sound the alarm over Trump’s Orbán embrace”
“They [Orbán allies] say things people want to hear about issues they care about. It’s ‘woke this and woke that,’ and then they pressure them with what they really want,” which is to end the Ukraine war on Putin’s terms, said a person familiar with the meetings who still works in government and asked for anonymity to speak freely about the situation.
That person is among many members of the more hawkish Republican foreign-policy establishment who said they were concerned about how Orbán is manipulating MAGA themes to achieve Orbán’s pro-Russian aims.
NYT: “Left-Wing Misinformation Is Having a Moment”
Researchers believe the whiplash of the current campaign season helped create the ideal conditions for voters of all political persuasions to feel distrustful and bewildered. Conspiracy theories tend to take hold in moments of distress and upheaval, research has shown.
“When you’re presented with information you don’t really know what to do with, you fill in the narrative blanks,” said Whitney Phillips, an assistant professor of media ethics and digital platforms at the University of Oregon.
Social media have become a major source of news for many Americans, allowing voters to nestle into their own ideological silos, which prize virality — and exaggeration — over nuance. Fact-checkers and their peers, meanwhile, are struggling to make a dent in misinformation while fighting for more support.
Event
World Relief, “Immigrants and Safety: Separating Facts From Fears,” Friday, Sept. 6, 12pm eastern
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