Navalny's Death Highlights The Dangers Of GOP's Pro-Putin Agenda
Navalny's Death Highlights The Dangers Of GOP's Pro-Putin Agenda
Trump's NATO comments, Tucker Carlson's Russian propaganda, and Republican opposition to Ukraine aid are part of an interconnected pro-Putin agenda that empowers far-right authoritarianism globally.
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Over the past two weeks, we saw the culmination of years of Republican and right-wing media behavior that appeases and empowers Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The majority of Republicans in Congress have refused to send new funding to Ukraine. Donald Trump declared that he would encourage Russia to “do whatever the hell they want” to NATO allies if they don’t pay what he demands. And former Fox News anchor Tucker Carlson went on a pro-Putin propaganda tour in Moscow.
Then, the worst fears of Putin’s opposition were realized.
On Friday, Putin’s biggest critic and most influential opposition leader, Alexei Navalny, died in a Russian prison. Three years ago, Navalny returned to Russia from exile and was arrested and imprisoned by Putin under politically motivated “extremism” charges. The Kremlin is rejecting calls for an independent postmortem examination, so the exact cause of death is still unconfirmed. But there is no doubt among Russia experts that Putin is to blame.
Navalny’s death was a devastating blow to Putin’s opposition. Navalny was still incredibly influential, even in prison. Now, Navalny’s wife, Yulia Navalnaya, is vowing to continue his work and rally the millions of supporters her husband inspired.
As the world mourned, Russians took to the streets to grieve, lay down flowers, and pay tribute to Navalny. But this is Putin’s Russia. Under oppressive anti-dissident laws, hundreds of mourners were violently detained and arrested. The New York Times reported the numbers:
“At least 366 people have been detained in 39 cities across Russia since Mr. Navalny was pronounced dead, with 31 of them ordered to spend up to 15 days in jail, according to OVD-Info, a Russian-based human rights group that tracks arrests.”
Video of the arrests spread on social media, contesting the Russian utopia Tucker Carlson portrayed to his millions of followers just days earlier.
Amid Republicans doing Putin’s bidding in Congress, the GOP presidential frontrunner Donald Trump encouraging Putin to attack NATO allies, and Tucker Carlson running a Moscow image rehabilitation project, the world was reminded how repressive, cruel, and authoritarian Putin’s regime truly is.
It’s important to point out that this amalgamation of events is interconnected. Far-right authoritarianism is a globally collaborative movement, and all these pro-Putin actions should be viewed through that lens.
We’re in the midst of a battle between liberal democracy and right-wing autocracy.
Let’s dive into the recent actions of Trump, Carlson, and the Republican Party and how they connect to the bigger picture.
Tucker Carlson’s Pro-Putin Propaganda Tour
On February 8, Tucker Carlson broadcast his interview with Vladimir Putin on Twitter/X. Elon Musk shared the interview, garnering over 200 million views.
The interview ended up being a humiliating softball propaganda piece, as expected. For the first 30 or so minutes, Putin launched into a revisionist history lesson on Russia. Throughout the interview, Putin appeared to mock Carlson and even did so afterward, remarking on the ease of the questions to Russian state media:
“He tried to interrupt me several times, but still, surprisingly for a Western journalist, he turned out to be patient and listened to my lengthy dialogues, especially those related to history, and didn’t give me reason to do what I was ready for. So frankly, I didn’t get complete satisfaction from this interview.”
Putin is likely feigning ignorance here. Putin very well knows Carlson is a friendly journalist to Russia’s interests. Russia’s state media arm, RT, has repeatedly broadcast Tucker Carlson’s Fox News segments and his new Twitter/X show.
After the interview aired, Carlson wasn’t done with his self-immolation.
In a video that was widely mocked, including by Jon Stewart on The Daily Show, Carlson visited a Russian grocery store. Seemingly amazed by the basic technology of the store, Carlson feigned surprise at the tools that you can find in any grocery store in America.
One moment from the video went most viral. Carlson praised the low prices of his Russian groceries and proclaimed it “radicalized” him:
"Coming to a Russian grocery store...and seeing how much things cost and how they live; it will radicalize you against our leaders. That’s how I feel anyway. Radicalized.”
Carlson said it cost him $104 USD for that grocery trip. He, of course, omitted the necessary context that Russia has twice the inflation of the US, and the average Russian citizen makes the equivalent of $200 USD a week. Carlson knows better. This is clearly a pure propaganda play.
Days before Navalny’s death, Tucker Carlson attended the World Government Summit in Dubai. Egyptian journalist Emad El Din Adeeb asked a question that garnered an answer that would prove haunting in hindsight.
Emad El Din Adeeb pressed Carlson on why he didn’t ask Putin about important issues like “freedom of speech in Russia” and “about Navalny, about assassinations, about restrictions on opposition in the coming elections.”
Carlson responded by saying: “Every leader kills people, including my leader. Every leader kills people, some kill more than others. Leadership requires killing people, sorry, that’s why I wouldn’t want to be a leader.”
After Navalny died, the already mounting criticism about Carlson’s pro-Putin media tour reached a fever pitch.
In a statement to The New York Times on Friday, Carlson appeared to recognize the backlash he was facing, commenting on Navalny’s death: “It’s horrifying what happened to Navalny. The whole thing is barbaric and awful. No decent person would defend it.”
But Carlson’s puff piece on Putin’s regime was, in effect, an implicit defense of the atrocities Putin has unleashed in Ukraine and against his opposition in Russia.
This debacle didn’t happen in a vacuum. It came amid troubling comments from Donald Trump.
Trump’s Campaign To Weaken NATO
On February 10, the Saturday before Navalny’s death, Trump made what was essentially an invitation for Putin to invade NATO allies.
Trump told a South Carolina rally a story of an alleged conversation he had with a NATO ally:
“NATO was busted until I came along. I said, ‘Everybody’s gonna pay.’ They said, ‘Well, if we don’t pay, are you still going to protect us?’ I said, ‘Absolutely not.’ They couldn’t believe the answer…
One of the presidents of a big country stood up and said, ‘Well sir, if we don’t pay and we’re attacked by Russia, will you protect us?’… I said… No, I would not protect you… In fact, I would encourage them to do whatever the hell they want. You got to pay. You got to pay your bills.”
Rallygoers applauded.
This was another “Russia, if you’re listening” moment. Trump is not only proclaiming he would not protect NATO allies if Russia attacks them. He’s going even further, encouraging Putin to attack. Putin is hearing this loud and clear. Trump is certainly the candidate of choice for the Kremlin.
Trump is once again blatantly executing Putin’s goal of weakening the NATO alliance.
When he was president, Trump did everything in his power to undermine NATO and empower Putin. Trump literally extorted Ukrainian President Zelensky by withholding necessary military aid in an effort to get an announced probe into then-candidate Biden.
One could argue Trump’s actions contributed to Putin’s false belief that the US and NATO were divided enough for him to launch this invasion of Ukraine with minimal consequences. It was a belief that President Biden proved wrong.
The post-WWII order is held together by the NATO alliance. It’s the main deterrent against Russian aggression. Trump saying he would not affirm Article 5 of the NATO treaty, which guarantees mutual defense in the event an ally is attacked, is how you incentivize World War 3.
Once he took office, President Biden sought to repair the damage the Trump years did to NATO by reaffirming America’s commitment to Article 5, reasserting our multilateral approach to diplomacy, and prioritizing common challenges like climate change.
The most reassuring thing Biden did was the leadership he exhibited in the immediate aftermath of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Biden coordinated European allies to levy sanctions on Putin’s regime, provide funding for Ukraine’s defense, and expand NATO membership nations.
In light of all this progress, Trump’s remarks sent shockwaves throughout Europe. These weren’t simply the musings of some random right-wing media figure. This is the imminent presumptive Republican nominee for president, who is doing far better in the polls than he should be and leading a party that is becoming increasingly pro-Putin and anti-NATO.
Trump’s comments rightfully sparked a fierce backlash.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said Trump’s comments put soldiers at risk, but he also sought to strike a reassuring tone:
“Any suggestion that allies will not defend each other undermines all of our security, including that of the US, and puts American and European soldiers at increased risk.”
“I expect that regardless of who wins the presidential election the US will remain a strong and committed NATO Ally.”
Charles Michel, president of the European Council, blasted Trump’s remarks in a post on Twitter/X:
“The Transatlantic Alliance has underpinned the security and the prosperity of Americans, Canadians and Europeans for 75 years. Reckless statements on #NATO’s security and Art 5 solidarity serve only Putin’s interest. They do not bring more security or peace to the world.”
The EU’s foreign policy and defense chief, Josep Borrell, spoke to the instability of the US and indicated unreliability in our alliance:
"Let’s be serious. NATO cannot be an 'à la carte' military alliance. (It) cannot be a military alliance that works depending on the humour of the President of the US on those days."
Borrell makes a good point. The US has two very distinct leadership styles right now. When Trump was in office, he did a lot to sow doubt among our allies. From pulling out of the Paris Climate Accord to violating the Iran Deal, America’s allies and adversaries began to see the US as volatile.
A nation that holds no concrete values and sways with whoever is currently holding the office of the presidency isn’t sustainable. Long-term agreements will mean less, and diplomatic efforts will be shrouded in a cloud of distrust. That is the sentiment that echoed off the walls at an important conference last week.
During the annual Munich Security Conference, it was clear that European nations felt they needed to do more to guarantee their own defense.
Vice President Kamala Harris attended the conference. In remarks this past Friday, the day the world learned of Navalny’s death, Harris sought to reassure NATO allies:
"Imagine if America turned our back on Ukraine and abandoned our NATO allies and abandoned our treaty commitments. Imagine if we went easy on [Russian President Vladimir] Putin, let alone encouraged him."
"History offers a clue. If we stand by while an aggressor invades its neighbor with impunity, they will keep going. And in the case of Putin, that means all of Europe would be threatened."
Harris is right. All of Europe could be threatened. But it appears Trump and his Republican allies don’t really care as long as their authoritarian friends are empowered.
I’ve written about how far-right authoritarianism is a globally collaborative movement. Donald Trump, Tucker Carlson, some Republican lawmakers, and Project 2025’s Kevin Roberts have all praised right-wing dictators like Hungary’s far-right authoritarian leader Viktor Orbán as a model to emulate in the US.
The far-right aligns on cultural issues and their views on power. They all believe in consolidating power in the executive and pushing repressive policies. We’re now seeing Republicans seeking to help those nations that pursue the authoritarian style of governance they hope to implement in the US.
Republicans Sabotage Ukraine Aid
After Alexei Navalny died, Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC) sent a post that ran contrary to many in his party:
“Navalny laid down his life fighting for the freedom of the country he loved. Putin is a murderous, paranoid dictator. History will not be kind to those in America who make apologies for Putin and praise Russian autocracy. Nor will history be kind to America’s leaders who stay silent because they fear backlash from online pundits.”
This tweet should’ve been a text message to the former Republican President Donald Trump, Tillis’ colleagues in Congress, and right-wing media figures like Tucker Carlson. At the moment, it seems history will not be kind to the Republican Party.
Republicans have sabotaged new aid to Ukraine for months, especially in the House of Representatives.
When it came time to vote on aid in the fall, Republicans demanded that any Ukraine aid must be accompanied by US border security measures. They likely thought this was something Democrats wouldn’t agree to. So, Senate Democrats and President Biden called their bluff and negotiated in good faith.
The result was a $118 billion bipartisan border and foreign aid bill that included border security measures, funding for Ukraine, and aid to Israel. But Donald Trump spoke out against the bill, instructing House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) to reject the deal. Johnson obliged, declaring the deal “dead on arrival” in the House. Senate Republicans then tanked their own deal so the border crisis could continue and Trump could campaign on it.
Afterward, Senate Republicans did manage to get enough votes to pass some Ukraine funding. Senator Tillis and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) were among the 22 Senate Republicans who backed a standalone $95 billion foreign aid bill that includes Ukraine funding.
But Trump and his allies are opposing the Ukraine aid and have gone as far as to threaten primary challenges against the Senate Republicans who voted for this bill.
Speaker Johnson, who previously executed the demands of Donald Trump and the far-right members of his caucus and tanked the border bill two weeks ago, appears ready to do the same with this new Ukraine aid.
Last week, Speaker Johnson refused to bring the bill up for a House floor vote after it passed the Senate. If he does decide to do so, he’s facing a threat from Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) to file a motion to vacate and trigger a vote to oust him as Speaker. Rather than voting to send much-needed aid to Ukraine, Speaker Johnson sent the House on a two-week recess and spent this past weekend in Mar-a-Lago with Donald Trump.
CNN reported on how Johnson is privately speaking about the bill:
“The speaker has said the legislation, which includes over $60 billion in assistance for Ukraine, would not pass in its current form, and privately told Republicans during a closed-door meeting last week there is “no rush” to address the issue, with Congress since having left town for a nearly two-week recess.”
The problem is there is indeed a rush to get this aid. Russia has recently made battlefield gains in Ukraine. The Ukrainian city of Avdiivka fell into Russian control this past weekend.
Ukraine desperately needs this aid, and Russia needs to be contained.
The Dangers Of An Emboldened Putin
If Donald Trump becomes president again, and this pro-Putin right-wing movement is put into the majority in Congress, Russia is very likely to escalate its aggressive actions. Russia experts speculate that Russia might try to invade a neighboring Baltic nation to test NATO’s resolve. There’s another troubling possibility, too.
US Intelligence officials have claimed that Russia is developing a space nuke. Yes, you read that right. Reporting from CNN:
“Russia is trying to develop a nuclear space weapon that would destroy satellites by creating a massive energy wave when detonated, potentially crippling a vast swath of the commercial and government satellites that the world below depends on to talk on cell phones, pay bills, and surf the internet, according to three sources familiar with US intelligence about the weapon.”
Needless to say, Vladimir Putin is not someone we should be enabling. Americans should keep this in mind as we approach the 2024 election. Who we elect will have massive foreign policy ramifications that could determine whether or not Europe plunges into a wider war. I hope we make the right choice.
