Thread by @EdOverbeek

Alright Joe, let’s talk about the fusion of pro-Russian propaganda and Republican propaganda into one joint operation aimed at Americans. /1

https://twitter.com/ErikWemple/status/1195097292593942528

Anti-Semitic smears of George Soros are common on both the corrupt Ukrainian right and the corrupt American right. But if he got this from Solomon, it’s a Ukranism
smear Solomon recycled with Joe’s personal help. /2

I won’t link to it, but the Solomon article is entirely about Ukraine. Soros’ nonprofit is one of many players in Ukraine on the pro-democracy, anti-corruption side. So naturally, pro-corruption and pro-Russia oligarchs don’t like him. /3

But they love one thing about him. Soros’ Jewishness makes him just as attractive a boogeyman to bigots there as here, so he’s a popular target.

Solomon, Fox News and Citizens United feel the same way. They know Soros’ name will help their base take Trump’s side on Ukraine. /4

Because Trump’s side on Ukraine is the side of corruption and pro-Russia oligarchs, his media and associated attack dogs are importing a Ukrainian smear about Ukrainian politics - a smear designed to make the State Dept and US interests look corrupt. /5

If that sounds familiar, it’s roughly what they’re doing to Biden. The US got a corrupt prosecutor fired - which benefits the US and Ukranian democracy - and the prosecutor is helping Trumpworld spin it to make their shared opponents look corrupt. /6

But all of that is nothing compared to the way these groups - these same individuals - are working to frame Ukraine for Russia’s 2016 election interference. /7

Pretending Russia is innocent helps Russia and hurts the US. Especially since they’re still at it. There’s no legitimate motive for any American to spread disinformation that clears them. But that’s exactly what Fox News and pro-Trump politicians are doing. /8

Russia is waging information warfare on us. Trumpworld is clearing them, and helping them, because it serves the interests of Trump and the Republican Party.

The 2016 collusion never ended. It just got mainstreamed on the right. /9

And they’re not doing it openly. They’re laundering talking points that originated in Russia and Ukraine through co-conspirators like John Solomon, before boosting them on Fox News, Trump’s twitter feed, and Trump campaign ads. /10

Here’s one of many examples of the Ukraine-Trump-Solomon-Trump pipeline. /11

theintercept.com/2019/10/17/ukr…

There’s an interesting part of the affidavit where it says it was produced for Dmytro Firtash. The mobbed up oligarch currently represented by the couple at the top of the thread. For some reason the ad doesn’t mention that. /12

As @AshaRangappa_ points out, the way they’re laundering their own material through seemingly independent third parties is a form of covert propaganda called “black propaganda”. And it’s illegal for politicians to do it. /13
gen.medium.com/running-covert…

In other words, Trump and his associates worked with a Russian mafia-linked oligarch on illegal covert propaganda aimed at the US, and they’re spreading it on Fox News and campaign ads.

Kind of a big deal. /14

And if this whole laundering propaganda sounds familiar, it’s exactly what Putin and Trump did in 2016 through their cutouts Wikileaks and guys like Roger Stone.

The difference is now Trump has the power of the executive branch behind him, including a corrupt AG. /15