Comrade J.D. Vance

September 5, 2024

On September 4, U.S. Attorney General Merrick B. Garland indicted two Russian employees of RT, Russia’s state-owned news outlet, for spreading propaganda and disinformation about Ukraine designed to undermine Kyiv and influence the American election. He also announced sanctions, awards to whistleblowers, seized web domains, and launched FBI investigations into individuals as part of a plan to counter a Russian “malign influence campaign known as Doppelganger” (run by a Putin insider). “The American people are entitled to know when a foreign power engages in political activities or seeks to influence public discourse,” Garland said. But a backstory exists that Americans deserve to know more about, which is that Donald Trump’s running mate, J.D. Vance, who has spouted anti-Ukraine and pro-Russian talking points for months, is connected to Moscow’s RT and has been for some time. His connection is financial and may explain the anti-Ukraine narrative spouted by him, by radical Republicans, and by Trump.