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.

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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-support

He’s a Member of Congress. The Kremlin Likes Him So Much It Gave Him a Code Name. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/21/us/politics/dana-rohrabacher-putin-trump-kremlin-under-fire.html

Lover or cover? Maria Butina and the romance at the heart of an alleged Russian influence operation https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/lover-cover-romance-heart-alleged-russian-influence-operation/story?id=57437405

For ‘Barbie’ Fans Online, a Bitterly Ironic Oscar Snub https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/23/style/barbie-oscar-nominations-reactions.html

Ryan Gosling Calls Out Oscars Over Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie Barbie Snubs: 'There Is No Ken Without Barbie' https://people.com/ryan-gosling-calls-out-oscars-over-greta-gerwig-margot-robbie-barbie-snubs-8548327

Why the ‘Barbie’ Oscars snubs are so enraging https://www.cnn.com/2024/01/23/opinions/oscars-snubbed-barbie-greta-gerwig-margot-robbie-stewart/index.html

The True Story of Oppenheimer’s First Love, Jean Tatlock, And How She Shaped His Views https://www.nbc.com/nbc-insider/the-true-story-of-jean-tatlock-in-oppenheimer

The Movie Wives Would Like a Word https://time.com/6336804/the-movie-wives-are-speaking/

Gina Davis documentary: This Changes Everything: https://m.imdb.com/title/tt5795282/