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image of Trump shadowed by smaller images of Russia

Sarah Wasko / Media Matters

How MAGA pundits who mocked the Russia “hoax” ended up the Kremlin’s payroll

Written by Matt Gertz

Published 09/06/24 2:06 PM EDT

For MSNBC.com, I wrote about the revelation from a federal indictment that prominent right-wing pundits unwittingly received millions of dollars that originated with the Russian government — and its implications for the broader MAGA ecosystem.

Prominent right-wing influencers Dave Rubin, Benny Johnson and Tim Pool have huge followings on YouTube and a fondness for the Trumpist talking point that allegations of Russian interference in the 2016 election on the former president’s behalf are a “hoax.” That’s not all they have in common: They also reportedly enjoyed lucrative deals with a content creation company that was a front for Russian propagandists.

…

The Tenet Media saga demonstrates once again that Russian election interference is not, as these commentators and their allies have insisted, a “hoax.” It is a fact, a deliberate and ongoing operation by the Kremlin to sway U.S. politics. And the Trumpist right’s yearslong quest to rebut that reality have ended up ensuring that their entire information ecosystem is honeycombed with Russian propaganda.

Read the whole thing.

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In This Article

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