Brat, David Rep

<div>jc econ prof?  tea party flank of cantor made him folk hero</div><div>
</div><div>pension oann?</div><div>
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</div><div>=mma 1022<div class="paragraph paragraph--type--stories-text paragraph--view-mode--editorial" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><div class="fancy-elems-wrapper field field--name-field-stories-text-formatted field--type-text-long field--label-hidden fielditem" style="box-sizing: border-box;">As Ukraine successfully pushes back invading forces, OAN is staying faithful to the Russian state propaganda edifice.OAN is spoon-feeding its viewers Kremlin-backed war propaganda and reports from the <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/exclusive-russian-news-agency-berlin-faces-staff-exodus-over-ukraine-invasion-2022-02-28/" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">state-owned</a> network <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/19401612221082052" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">Ruptly</a>. Recently, the far-right network portrayed the <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2022/09/23/europe/occupied-ukraine-referendum-russia-intl-hnk/index.html" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">sham referendum</a> and <a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-middle-east-syria-united-nations-fd7ede16dec560ebb49f9465644de1b1" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">illegal annexation</a> of Ukrainian territories as legitimate; accused the U.S. and Ukraine, without evidence, of sabotaging the <a href="https://cepa.org/article/conspiracy-theorists-right-wing-politicians-fuel-nord-stream-disinformation/" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">Nord Stream gas pipeline</a> and <a href="https://www.npr.org/2022/10/13/1128625322/crimea-bridge-attack-theories" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">bombing Crimea’s Kerch bridge</a>; aired antisemitic conspiracy theories about Western globalists trying to control Russia; and claimed Ukraine is dangerously escalating the war simply by defending its territory. This pattern of pro-Russia coverage follows OAN’s <a href="https://twitter.com/statedept/status/1484292153102585856?lang=en" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">notable</a> history of <a href="https://deadline.com/2021/08/rachel-maddow-msnbc-beat-oan-lawsuit-appeal-robert-herring-1234816713/" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">acting</a> as a <a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/trumps-new-favorite-network-oann-embraces-russian-propaganda" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">mouthpiece</a> for Russian <a href="https://archive.today/20190531160951/https://www.thedailybeast.com/the-hell-of-working-at-trumps-new-favorite-tv-channel-one-america-news-network" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">propaganda</a>. Both a <a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/oan-trumps-new-favorite-channel-employs-kremlin-paid-journalist" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">former correspondent</a> and a <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/natasha-sweatte-60ab71111?miniProfileUrn=urn%3Ali%3Afs_miniProfile%3AACoAABwdVSoBNgcprg08tJem0m3hCW_pgntanzk&lipi=urn%3Ali%3Apage%3Ad_flagship3_search_srp_people%3BMhubx6CDRM24Or8cpDMZaw%3D%3D" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">more recent hire</a> of OAN's previously worked for Russian state-owned media outlets. After the invasion of Ukraine, OAN hosts promoted Kremlin-sponsored conspiracy theories about Western “biolabs” and Ukraine <a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-health-europe-c0f2f859296f9f02be24fc9edfca1085" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">bombing</a> its own hospitals while guests <a href="https://www.mediamatters.org/media/3985273" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">claimed</a> that “Ukraine is not a real country” and that it’s just “a giant money-pot laundering scheme for the elites.”  The network’s more recent coverage is part of a right-wing effort to <a href="https://www.mediamatters.org/russias-invasion-ukraine/conservative-medias-love-putin-continues-even-after-his-invasion-ukraine" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">defend</a> Russian President Vladimir Putin by convincing viewers Russia’s invasion is not actually an invasion:<h3 style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1; margin: 0px 0px 1rem;">OAN coverage relies on Russian state-owned outlet Ruptly</h3>OAN has relied on reporting and footage from Russian <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/exclusive-russian-news-agency-berlin-faces-staff-exodus-over-ukraine-invasion-2022-02-28/" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">state-owned</a> network <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/19401612221082052" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">Ruptly</a> on numerous occasions. Although Ruptly <a href="https://www.newsguardtech.com/feedback/publisher/ruptly-tv/" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">maintains</a> that it is an independent organization and merely a sister agency of now-defunct Russia Today, or RT, Ruptly and its <a href="https://securingdemocracy.gmfus.org/russias-maturing-information-manipulation-playbook/" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">subsidiaries</a> lack an <a href="https://www.state.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Kremlin-Funded-Media_January_update-19.pdf" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">independent news charter</a> and have a history of publishing <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2020-election/facebook-blocks-russia-backed-accounts-other-sites-keep-churning-out-n1242683" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">manipulated</a> <a href="https://observers.france24.com/en/tv-shows/truth-or-fake/20211001-the-pro-russian-propaganda-hiding-in-your-tiktok-feed" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">reports</a> and <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-trending-40647061" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">sourcing</a> <a href="https://www.stopfake.org/en/british-citizen-exposed-as-a-tool-of-russia-s-fsb/" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">from</a> journalists backed by <a href="https://www.bellingcat.com/tag/fsb/" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">Russia’s state security agency</a>. The U.K. recently <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/news/foreign-secretary-announces-sanctions-on-putins-propaganda--2" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">sanctioned</a> Ruptly’s founding station, <a href="https://www.state.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Kremlin-Funded-Media_January_update-19.pdf" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">Tv-Novosti</a>, for pushing Russian state propaganda. <ul style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; clear: both; list-style: none; padding: 0px;"><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em; padding-left: 3rem; position: relative;">OAN cited Ruptly in at least 7 reports about the conflict in September, which it repeatedly re-aired for audiences. The network has also cited Ruptly in reports about European foreign policy tangentially related to the conflict, including an update on the ISIS Kabul terrorist attack and a <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20221011185107/https://www.ruptly.tv/en/videos/20220922-049-un-serbian-pm-vucic-denounces-double-standards-at-unga?search_key=cb91440e-6990-4432-b4b9-1b8a50d3b642" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">report</a> about Serbian President Vučić’s speech to the U.N., which “supports ‘territorial integrity’ of Ukraine but it did not respect territorial integrity of Serbia when NATO bombed Belgrade in 1999.” [One America News, One America News, <a href="https://www.mediamatters.org/media/3995050" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">9/5/22</a>,<a href="https://www.mediamatters.org/media/3995448" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;"> 9/22/22]</a></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em; padding-left: 3rem; position: relative;">OAN played <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20221011190423/https://www.ruptly.tv/en/videos/20220921-015-russia-vladimir-putin-declares-partial-military-mobilisation?search_key=deef93fe-2ff8-4c81-ad60-40a3325218cc" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">Ruptly footage</a> while reporting that Putin “is not bluffing” about nuclear strikes after “top NATO officials said it would be acceptable to carry out nuclear strikes on Russia.” In doing so, OAN legitimized the Russian president’s <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/exclusive-nato-chief-says-putins-ukraine-escalation-dangerous-reckless-2022-09-21/" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">vague allegation</a> against top government officials in several unnamed NATO countries. [One America News, One America News, <a href="https://www.mediamatters.org/media/3994864" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">9/21/22</a>] [Ruptly, <a href="https://www.ruptly.tv/en/videos/20220921-015-Russia-Vladimir-Putin-declares-partial-military-mobilisation" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">9/21/2022</a>]</li><li aria-level="1" style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em; padding-left: 3rem; position: relative;">OAN claimed that “the Biden administration is bolstering its anti-Russia position” by nominating Armenian Ambassador Lynne Tracy to be Russian ambassador. The report, which contained footage from Ruptly, claimed that the White House will do “whatever it takes to help Ukraine topple the larger Russia.” [One America News, One America News, <a href="https://www.mediamatters.org/media/3994867" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">9/21/22</a>]</li></ul><h3 style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1; margin: 0px 0px 1rem;">OAN defended Russia’s illegal referendums and subsequent annexation of Ukrainian regions as legitimate</h3>Late last month, Russia organized <a href="https://www.gpb.org/news/2022/09/23/russia-begins-annexation-vote-illegal-under-international-law-in-occupied-ukraine" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">sham referendums</a> in Ukraine’s occupied Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia regions in order to annex them and claim that the invaded regions are now <a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/9/28/russia-set-to-annex-ukraine-regions-after-sham-vote" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">legally Russian territory</a>. OAN privileged the Kremlin narrative that these elections were free and legal over <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/ukraine-annexation-votes-end-amid-russian-mobilisation-exodus-2022-09-26/" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">widespread</a> <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/23/world/europe/ukraine-russia-referendums-annexation.html" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">reporting</a> and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DfX8s7kk3_8" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">testimony</a> from residents of the occupied territory revealing a <a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/9/20/russia-unfolds-annexation-plan-for-ukraine" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">hastily organized</a> election devoid of ballot secrecy and <a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-kyiv-referendums-donetsk-5531dbd74e48382c5dbb04d70ac7233f" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">marred</a> by the threat of violence — including video of poll workers <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-63013356" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">flanked</a> by armed soldiers going door to door collecting votes.Some of OAN’s so-called news reports pushed claims that countries that are refusing to recognize the illegal referendums and annexation of an anti-Russia bias. This narrative ignores <a href="https://usun.usmission.gov/explanation-of-vote-before-the-vote-on-a-un-security-council-resolution-condemning-russias-sham-referenda-in-ukraine/" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">international</a> <a href="https://news.un.org/en/story/2022/09/1128161" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">condemnation</a> of Russia’s ongoing invasion and annexation of Ukraine and promotes Putin’s increasingly antagonistic framework that this invasion is part of Russia’s <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/live/2022/09/30/world/russia-ukraine-war-news" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">existential battle</a> against the West. <ul style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; clear: both; list-style: none; padding: 0px;"><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em; padding-left: 3rem; position: relative;">One America News <a href="https://www.mediamatters.org/media/3994788" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">reported</a>, “According to [a] local mayor, polls show residents of Russian-controlled areas of Ukraine are supporting the proposal to join Russia.” The report relied on Ruptly <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20221011190235/https://www.ruptly.tv/en/videos/20220920-039-dpr-long-overdue-donetsk-residents-speak-about-referendum-on-joining-russia?search_key=2b6116fb-104a-4add-b87c-4d196fe40c69" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">footage</a> of civilians positively discussing the illegal annexation. The host repeated Russia’s warning that if these areas join Russia, “any attacks on them will mean an attack on Russia and its national security.” [One America News, One America News, <a href="https://www.mediamatters.org/media/3994788" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">9/24/22</a>]</li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em; padding-left: 3rem; position: relative;">OAN claimed the Biden administration and Ukrainian president are “denying the election results” by not legitimizing the illegal referendum. OAN took the suspicious results of the referendum at face value, noting that “officials say residents overwhelmingly support annexation, with one territory garnering the lowest support at 87% and another collecting 99% support.” [One America News, Breaking News Live, <a href="https://www.mediamatters.org/media/3994838" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">9/28/22</a>]</li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em; padding-left: 3rem; position: relative;">One America News reported, “The U.S. and its allies did not recognize the results of the vote, but Russian officials say that such statements are based off anti-Russian bias in the West." The report, which aired after the “majority of local residents voted to join Russia,” failed to mention the vote violated international and Ukrainian law, was overseen by armed guards, and lacked ballot secrecy. Instead, OAN reported that the speaker of the Russian parliament said annexation “is necessary to defend their Russian population from the Kyiv government.” [One America News, Breaking News Live, <a href="https://www.mediamatters.org/media/3994841" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">10/3/22</a>]</li></ul><h3 style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1; margin: 0px 0px 1rem;">OAN blamed the West for the Nord Stream pipeline sabotage and Kerch bridge explosion without evidence</h3>Three separate <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/27/world/europe/pipeline-leak-russia-nord-stream.html" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">ruptures</a> in the Nord Stream 1 and 2 gas pipelines sparked an international blame game between Russia, Ukraine, and Ukrainian allies, including the United States. Online conspiracy theorists and right-wing outlets like OAN parroted the <a href="https://www.brookings.edu/techstream/u-s-podcasters-spread-kremlin-narratives-on-nord-stream-sabotage/" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">Russian</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/sabotage-of-pipelines-were-a-warning-shot-from-putin-experts-2022-10" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">narrative</a> and pointed fingers at the United States and its allies with no evidence. Some programming even used the allegations to validate Putin’s threats of nuclear war. OAN’s reaction to an <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2022/10/12/europe/russia-ukraine-crimea-bridge-arrests-intl/index.html" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">explosion</a> that damaged the Kerch bridge, a strategic connection between the Crimean Peninsula and Russia’s mainland, followed a similar pattern. The network advanced a Kremlin allegation that Ukraine was behind the explosion <a href="https://www.npr.org/2022/10/12/1128338004/crimea-kerch-bridge-explosion-arrests-ukraine-denies-involvement" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">without evidence</a>, which Putin used to <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/10/10/russia-ukraine-war-latest-updates/" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">justify</a> <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2022/10/10/europe/ukraine-kyiv-missile-strikes-russia-intl/index.html" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">airstrikes</a> across Ukraine. OAN unquestioningly promoted Putin’s claim as fact.  <ul style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; clear: both; list-style: none; padding: 0px;"><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em; padding-left: 3rem; position: relative;">OAN guest Douglas Macgregor said the U.S. “probably approved this or had a role in” the Nord Stream pipeline explosions. Asked by host Dan Ball about “this sabotage thing,” Macgregor added, without evidence, “Well, we know with absolute certainty that the Russians did not do it.” Macgregor, a retired U.S. Army colonel, has a history of pushing <a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/russian-state-tv-tells-ukraine-to-listen-to-fox-news-guest-doug-macgregor-and-kneel-to-vladimir-putin" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">pro-Russian</a> talking points in right-wing media. [One America News, Real America, <a href="https://www.mediamatters.org/media/3994454" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">9/28/22</a>]</li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em; padding-left: 3rem; position: relative;">Tipping Point guest Pedro Gonzalez reacted to the pipeline explosion: “It really does look like the West did this.” Gonzalez, a senior writer at far-right Chronicles magazine, also framed nuclear warfare as a legitimate response to “an escalation that involves NATO,” saying that “Russia really has no other alternative. … The only option it has is to escalate to nuclear warfare, right?” [One America News, Tipping Point, <a href="https://www.mediamatters.org/%E2%80%9Dhttps%3A//www.mediamatters.org/media/3994770%22" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">9/30/22</a>] </li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em; padding-left: 3rem; position: relative;">Host Kara McKinney inferred that the U.S. might have sabotaged the pipeline because Biden once said he wanted to end the Nord Stream pipeline. The Tipping Point host also claimed it would have been too hard for Russia to attack the pipelines itself. [One America News, Tipping Point, <a href="https://www.mediamatters.org/media/3994772" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">9/29/22</a>]</li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em; padding-left: 3rem; position: relative;">OAN’s Addison Smith said it “does not make sense to the rational mind” that Russia would sabotage Nord Stream pipelines: “What does make sense is that the United States might be responsible.” Smith also cited Biden’s comments about ending the pipeline, claiming, “We have evidence that the U.S. could be behind this Nord Stream sabotage — definitely more evidence than anyone has of Russia being responsible.” [One America News, In Focus, <a href="https://www.mediamatters.org/media/3994975" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">10/6/22</a>]</li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em; padding-left: 3rem; position: relative;">After the Kerch bridge explosion, One America News reported that Russia “targeted Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, a move Russian officials say was in retaliation against Ukraine's attack destroying the Crimean bridge over the weekend.” OAN moved on without clarifying there is no definitive evidence Ukraine was behind the explosion or mentioning that global leaders <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2022/oct/10/russia-ukraine-war-live-news-putin-russian-security-council-zaporizhzhia-nuclear-power-plant-hit-again-latest-updates" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">condemned</a> Putin’s so-called retaliatory strikes, which killed at least 11 people. [One America News, One America News, <a href="https://www.mediamatters.org/media/3995135" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">10/11/22</a>]</li></ul><h3 style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1; margin: 0px 0px 1rem;">OAN absolved Russia of blame for the war, faulting “globalists” instead  </h3>OAN’s quest to absolve Russia and justify its invasion has in some cases devolved into <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2018/03/the-origins-of-the-globalist-slur/555479/" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">antisemitic conspiracy</a> theories. Network hosts pushed claims that “globalists” provoked Russia and plunged the world into Armageddon in order to seize power and targeted the right’s <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/stories-49584157" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">favorite Jewish boogeyman</a>, Holocaust survivor and pro-democracy philanthropist George Soros. Putin has <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/07/22/putin-golden-billion-russia/" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">referenced</a> the conspiracy theory in speeches meant to <a href="https://thedispatch.com/article/vladimir-putin-plays-the-globalism/" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">court</a> right-wing populists, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/feb/25/vladimir-putin-ukraine-attack-antisemitism-denazify" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">justify</a> the invasion, and <a href="https://warontherocks.com/2022/03/how-are-putins-far-right-fans-in-the-west-reacting-to-his-war/" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">reduce</a> support for Ukraine. OAN’s coverage follows suit. [oct 13 vid]correspondent Pearson Sharp: “This war was manufactured from the beginning by the globalists and the tyrants in Washington and designed specifically to cripple our economy and plunge the world into a massive depression, which would help centralize the globalists’ power.” Sharp used out-of-context clips from the “globalist puppet master himself, George Soros,” to trying to prove that “they are trying to provoke Russia into starting Armageddon,” even though “none of this has anything to do with Russia invading Ukraine.” [One America News, One America News, <a href="https://www.mediamatters.org/media/3995215" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">10/13/22</a>] </div></div><div class="paragraph paragraph--type--stories-text paragraph--view-mode--editorial" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><div class="fancy-elems-wrapper field field--name-field-stories-text-formatted field--type-text-long field--label-hidden fielditem" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><ul style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; clear: both; list-style: none; padding: 0px;"><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em; padding-left: 3rem; position: relative;">OAN host Chanel Rion: “The left needs a world war. It's the only thing that can save them at this point. Biden's approval numbers and in turn the entire leftist globalist agenda is in burn-in-hell territory.” Rion told viewers that “the globalist left have been begging for this World War III showdown,” perhaps partly because they want to “divide and plunder Russia.” [One America News, Weekly Briefing, <a href="https://www.mediamatters.org/media/3995035" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">10/9/22</a>] </li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em; padding-left: 3rem; position: relative;">OAN guest Dave Brat warned: “The big-money folks, right, who you don't know — the globalist forces — want to rule and they don't care at all about the American people.” He continued by saying that globalists want to get rid of Russia and the United States. Host Addison Smith responded by pointing his finger at Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-TX), saying, “Of course people like Dan Crenshaw want a war in Ukraine to go on. They want us to get involved in the war. It all comes down to money.” [One America News, In Focus, <a href="https://www.mediamatters.org/media/3995232" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">10/11/22</a>]</li></ul><h3 style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1; margin: 0px 0px 1rem;">OAN promoted Russian allegations of Ukrainian aggression, justifying Russia’s violent invasion</h3>OAN uncritically advanced Russian propaganda demonizing Ukrainian attempts to <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/13/us/politics/ukraine-russia-pentagon.html" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">take back </a>illegally seized territories while depicting Putin as defending Russian lands and their inhabitants against Ukraine. Though Putin has <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/putin-signs-decree-mobilisation-says-west-wants-destroy-russia-2022-09-21/" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">issued</a> nuclear threats, <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2022/09/23/russia-ukraine-war-putins-nuclear-threats-raise-the-risk-of-disaster.html" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">escalated</a> global tensions, and <a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/program/the-listening-post/2022/2/26/putin-redrawing-borders-rewriting-history" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">mythologized</a> Russia’s own history of state-based repression, OAN falsely claimed Ukraine is a <a href="https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/ukraine-becomes-a-totalitarian-state" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">totalitarian state</a> run by a dangerous warmonger, President Volodymyr Zelensky, dead-set on dragging the world into nuclear Armageddon.This coverage serves no purpose aside from <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/25/technology/russia-supporters.html" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">helping</a> Putin turn his <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/live/2022/09/21/world/russia-ukraine-war-putin" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">unpopular</a> military incursion <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/sep/20/vladimir-putin-escalation-ukraine-nuclear-war-annexation" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">into</a> a defensive war and poisoning support for Ukraine by muddying <a href="https://www.mediamatters.org/russias-invasion-ukraine/american-media-need-admit-imposing-no-fly-zone-over-ukraine-would-mean" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">legitimate criticism</a> about reckless military spending with Kremlin <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/25/opinion/putin-russia-conspiracy-theories.html" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">conspiracy theories</a>. <ul style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; clear: both; list-style: none; padding: 0px;"><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em; padding-left: 3rem; position: relative;">A day after Ukrainian officials clarified that Zelensky’s comments about “preemptive strikes” against Russia were about sanctions, not nuclear strikes, OAN host Addison Smith said, “I don't think he misspoke, William. I think he meant what he said.” Smith’s guest then used the <a href="https://kyivindependent.com/news-feed/zelenskys-staff-forced-to-clarify-statement-after-president-suggests-preventive-strike-on-russia" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">miscommunication</a> to paint Zelensky as an “irresponsible” warmonger. [One America News, In Focus, <a href="https://www.mediamatters.org/media/3995126" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">10/7/22</a>]</li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em; padding-left: 3rem; position: relative;">Relying on Ruptly footage, OAN news hosts reported that “authorities in Donetsk People's Republic said the Ukrainian government is targeting civilians with Western weapons” adding that they say this is “an attempt to convince local residents that Moscow cannot protect them.” Russian state propagandists have <a href="https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/maria-butina-russian-agent-says-ukraine-bombing-itself-1318782/" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">promoted</a> <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-60571737" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">false claims</a> about Ukraine attacking its own civilians in order to rationalize the invasion. Four days after this report aired, United Nations <a href="https://news.un.org/en/story/2022/09/1127691" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">investigators</a> concluded that “war crimes have been committed in Ukraine,” including Russian attacks carried out “without distinguishing between civilians and combatants.” [One America News, Breaking News Live, <a href="https://www.mediamatters.org/media/3994833" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">9/19/22</a>]</li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em; padding-left: 3rem; position: relative;">OAN legitimized Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s claims that Ukraine “has become a completely totalitarian, Nazi-like state” and “Western supporters of Ukraine are trying to extend the conflict for as long as possible in hopes to weaken Russia.” The report, which contained Ruptly footage, failed to mention that far-right neo-Nazis are not politically strong in Ukraine, <a href="https://www.factcheck.org/2022/03/the-facts-on-de-nazifying-ukraine/" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">rarely exceeding</a> 3% of the popular vote. [One America News, One America News, <a href="https://www.mediamatters.org/media/3994845" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; box-shadow: rgba(25, 118, 210, 0.5) 0px -1px 0px inset;">9/22/22</a>]</li></ul></div></div>=</div><div>=</div><div><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2018/08/what-is-the-congressional-leadership-fund/" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2018/08/what-is-the-congressional-leadership-fund/</a></div><div>
</div><div>A Democratic candidate alleged Wednesday that a GOP super PAC got ahold of her C.I.A. security clearance application to use for political purposes, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/28/us/politics/cia-officer-house-election-super-pac.html?action=click&module=Top%20Stories&pgtype=Homepage" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">according to The New York Times.</a></div>Abigail Spanberger, <a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/races/summary?cycle=2018&id=VA07" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">the Democratic nominee in Virginia’s 7th District</a>, said the Congressional Leadership Fund is using the highly sensitive information found in the application to attack her campaign. Spanberger is challenging <a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/members-of-congress/summary?cid=N00036013" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">Rep. Dave Brat (R-Va.)</a>.A spokeswoman for the super PAC responded to Spanberger’s accusation saying it had lawfully obtained the application through a Freedom of Information Act request.<a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/lookup2.php?strID=C00504530&cycle=2018" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">The Congressional Leadership Fund</a> is a powerful and influential GOP super PAC that has already raised nearly $100 million for the 2018 election cycle.The super PAC, which formed in 2011, has rapidly become a major contributor to GOP politicians, closely aligned to House Speaker Paul Ryan.The Congressional Leadership Fund has raised $96.6 million in 2018 year-to-date, a sizable increase from $51.1 million raised during the 2016 election cycle and $12.6 million raised for 2014 elections.At this point in the 2018 election cycle, the super PAC has spent $3.2 million supporting Republican candidates and $24.2 million opposing Democratic candidates.The super PAC’s biggest spend in support of a candidate so far this cycle was $1.2 million supporting Troy Balderson, the Republican who went on to win the hotly contested special election <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2018/08/24/politics/troy-balderson-ohio-special-election/index.html" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">in Ohio’s 12 District.</a>Congressional Leadership Fund’s biggest spend opposing a candidate was $6.1 million against Jon Ossoff, the Democratic candidate <a href="https://www.ajc.com/news/state--regional-govt--politics/why-jon-ossoff-isn-making-comeback-georgia-6th/P2FMacaNXWPkeKKstIFltK/" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">who lost in Georgia’s 6th District in a 2017 special election.</a>The super PAC’s stated mission is to focus on bringing more Republicans into the U.S. House of Representatives to strengthen the party’s majority, according to <a href="https://congressionalleadershipfund.org/about/" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">the Congressional Leadership Fund’s website.</a>Corry Bliss is the executive director for both the Congressional Leadership Fund and the American Action Network, a politically active nonprofit focused on center-right policies that doesn’t have to disclose its donors.  Major Republican donors Sheldon and Miriam Adelson have been the leading contributors to the super PAC since its creation. The Adelsons donated $15 million a piece to the super PAC in 2018 and a total of $20 million in 2016.The Congressional Leadership Fund was also created to oppose Democratic super PACs, like the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, and to support former House Speaker John Boehner, according to the super PAC’s website.<div class="related-box" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; width: 760px; padding: 8px 0px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 12px;">RELATED TOPICS<ul class="related-list" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; margin: 0px -5px; padding: 0px; list-style: none;"><li style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; margin: 0px 5px 10px; padding: 0px; list-style-position: inside; float: left;"><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/news/tag/abigail-spanberger/" rel="tag" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; 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</div><div style="">=</div><div style=""><a href="https://www.alternet.org/news-amp-politics/republican-pac-publishes-security-application-former-cia-agent-running-democrat" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none;">https://www.alternet.org/news-amp-politics/republican-pac-publishes-security-application-former-cia-agent-running-democrat</a></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Abigail Spanberger is the Democratic candidate in Virginia’s 7th district, and a former officer in the CIA. The Congressional Leadership Fund is a Republican Super PAC associated with Paul Ryan, which plans to hand out over $100 million to GOP candidates for the election this fall. But money isn’t the only thing that the PAC is handing out. They’ve also produced the application Spanberger submitted in seeking security clearance with the CIA, making her personal information public. How the PAC obtained this form is an open, and important, question.</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div>According to <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/28/us/politics/cia-officer-house-election-super-pac.html" target="blank" title="" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none;">the New York Times</a>, the Republican Congressional Leadership Fund has both published the form, with some personal information redacted, and made it available to reporters. Security applications, by their nature, provide highly detailed background information. They may require that the person involved produce information on actions that could potentially be embarrassing, even if not illegal.As an example, since obtaining Spanberger’s form, a polling company connected with the Republican PAC has conducted push polls asking voters if they would be less likely to support the Democratic candidate “if she knew that the candidate had taught at a school funded by the Saudi royal family that had ‘numerous students arrested for terrorism.’” The Republican PAC has also put out a “news release” on this topic.<div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin-bottom: 20px;">Spanberger is currently running strongly against Republican Representative Dave Brat in what the GOP had regarded as a “safe” district. With a broad range of endorsements and support, this represents another district that Republicans are finding a challenge in 2018 after a series of walk-over elections. So it’s understandable that Republicans are desperate to find an edge.The problems is: Where did they find it? The Congressional Leadership Fund claims that the form was obtained through a FOIA request to the Post Office, where Spanberger worked briefly while waiting for clearance from the CIA. But the version of the document, and the fact that the copy given to reporters seems to be unredacted, does not square with the version that should be produced through a FOIA request. In fact, the unredacted form cannot be released under the Privacy Act.The Democratic candidate has sent a cease-and-desist letter to the executive director of the Congressional Leadership Fund, demanding that the PAC destroy all copies of the form and “agree to not use the information in any fashion.” And the real question boils down to: Is someone within the Trump White House handing out classified information to be used against Democratic candidates?The <a href="https://www.richmond.com/news/virginia/government-politics/conservative-pac-releases-document-on-spanberger-teaching-at-saudi-funded/article_9f25ad24-4816-5872-b37f-a72e3c4fba8c.html" target="blank" title="" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none;">Richmond Times-Dispatch</a> shows how Republicans are attempting to use even the controversy about how they obtained this document to harm Spanberger. A spokeswoman for the Congressional Leadership Fund replied to questions that “It should surprise no one that Ms. Spanberger would want to hide from voters that she worked at a school that produced some of the world’s most dangerous terrorists.”Spanberger was a substitute teacher at a prep school for wealthy students, filling in for a teacher on maternity leave, between the time she finished her Masters degree and before she took her Post Office job. No student she taught has been connected to terrorism in any way. She also waited tables. Republicans have not yet produced a news release claiming that she served a plate of eggs to Osama bin Laden … but there’s still time.Daily Kos Elections rated the VA-7 race as “Leans Republican” on Aug 22. The Cook Report has moved the race to “Toss up.”<div>
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<div><a href="https://www.alternet.org/news-amp-politics/dave-brat-admits-he-supports-corey-stewart">https://www.alternet.org/news-amp-politics/dave-brat-admits-he-supports-corey-stewart</a></div><div>
</div><div>Ever since Confederate sympathizer Corey Stewart was <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2018/06/corey-stewart-wins-virginia/562739/" style="text-decoration-line: none;">nominated</a> by Republicans to challenge Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA), many high-profile Republicans in the state have found themselves in an uncomfortable position.</div>GOP Rep. Dave Brat (R-VA) has spent weeks trying not to answer where he stands. In July, asked by an interviewer whether he supports Stewart, he gave a <a href="https://bluevirginia.us/2018/07/audio-asked-if-hell-campaign-with-corey-stewart-dave-brat-dodges-for-5-minutes-rambles-about-fascism-socialism-blah-blah-blah" style="text-decoration-line: none;">5 minute explanation</a> of how he follows "the systematic theology of Martin Luther King" and Democrats want "a huge state moving towards socialism," without actually answering the question. And earlier this week, he <a href="https://bluevirginia.us/2018/08/video-dave-brat-really-really-doesnt-want-to-say-if-hes-supporting-corey-stewart-for-senate" style="text-decoration-line: none;">told</a> another person asking him about Stewart, "I gotta get my car fixed" and hurried away.But at a private event in Chesterfield, Brat finally gave a straight answer, according to <a href="https://richmond2day.com/audio-dave-brat-says-he-supports-corey-stewart-at-a-private-event/" style="text-decoration-line: none;">audio</a> posted by Richmond2Day.<div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin-bottom: 20px;">"Yeah, I am clear on all of this, on the president, on Corey Stewart, on anyone, it is just the Republican creed," Brat told an attendee. "The press up there, they always want to get you on the tweet of the morning, right? So they say, what do you think of this, what do you think of this? I don't respond to that. I respond to the policies I run on."Stewart, who defeated state Del. Nick Freitas and minister E. W. Jackson Sr. for the Republican Senate nomination in June, is a Prince William County supervisor and former state-level Trump campaign manager who was <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/virginia-politics/youre-fired-trump-campaign-dumps-virginia-state-chair-corey-stewart/2016/10/10/eb9f9556-8f2f-11e6-a6a3-d50061aa9fae_story.html?utm_term=.1b3ffc75dbab" style="text-decoration-line: none;">fired</a> for staging an unauthorized demonstration at the Republican National Committee headquarters, decrying "establishment pukes" who criticized then-candidate Donald Trump over the "Access Hollywood" tape.Stewart fiercely <a href="https://www.vox.com/2018/6/13/17458452/alt-right-corey-stewart-virginia-gop" style="text-decoration-line: none;">defends</a> Confederate monuments to slavery and white supremacy, comparing people who advocate their removal to ISIS. He has also <a href="https://www.vox.com/2018/6/13/17458452/alt-right-corey-stewart-virginia-gop" style="text-decoration-line: none;">appeared in public</a> with Jason Kessler, the neo-Nazi behind the deadly "<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2017/local/charlottesville-timeline/?utm_term=.59a08435deff" style="text-decoration-line: none;">Unite the Right</a>" Charlottesville riots last year, and called prominent anti-Semitic white supremacist Paul Nehlen a "<a href="https://shareblue.com/corey-stewart-virginia-senate-candidate-white-supremacist-paul-nehlen-personal-hero/" style="text-decoration-line: none;">personal hero</a>" — which he later <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2018/06/20/politics/corey-stewart-paul-nehlen/index.html" style="text-decoration-line: none;">falsely</a> tried to claim he only did before Nehlen started sharing racist content.Brat's assertion he doesn't have to have an opinion on Stewart's racist beliefs as long as he is a vote for the GOP agenda is ridiculous and insulting — and it is revealing that he waited until he was in friendly company to say it.But this attitude of promoting the "Republican creed" over basic character and decency is not new from Brat. He has also previously stated he stands with his fellow Freedom Caucus member, Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH), calling him "<a href="https://shareblue.com/dave-brat-virginia-jim-jordan-ethical/" style="text-decoration-line: none;">one of the most ethical guys</a>," despite a series of allegations that he ignored sexual abuse as an assistant wrestling coach at Ohio State University.Brat, who represents Virginia's 6th Congressional District in the central portion of the state, is locked in a <a href="https://www.cookpolitical.com/analysis/house/virginia-house/va-07-brat-moves-lean-republican-toss" style="text-decoration-line: none;">competitive race</a> with Democratic former CIA officer Abigail Spanberger. The race is becoming increasingly nasty, with one super PAC affiliated with House Speaker Paul Ryan allegedly <a href="https://www.alternet.org/congressional-leadership-fund-allegedly-obtained-abigail-spanberger-clearance" style="text-decoration-line: none;">obtaining</a> Spanberger's security clearance forms for improper political use.<div style="">
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</div><div style=""><ul class="byline " style="margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none outside; line-height: 18px; background: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><li style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background: transparent;"><a href="http://www.rollcall.com/reporters/84.html" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration: none; font-weight: bold; background: transparent;">Emily Cahn</a></li><li style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background: transparent;">Roll Call Staff</li><li style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background: transparent;">June 16, 2014, 4:20 p.m.</li><li style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background: transparent;">Dave Brat, the economics professor who defeated House Majority Leader <a href="http://www.rollcall.com/members/8910.html" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration-line: none; background: transparent;">Eric Cantor</a> in a stunning upset last week, has hired a communications director.

Brian Gottstein will now handle all media inquires for Brat’s campaign in the 7th District, which is not expected to be competitive in November.Gottstein served as communications director for Ken Cuccinelli when the Republican was attorney general of Virginia.Gottstein also co-authored Cuccinelli’s book, “The Last Line Of Defense: The New Fight for American Liberty.”</li></ul></div><div style=""></div><div style="">
</div><div style="">mojo corn<div style="">
</div><div style="">When tea party challenger David Brat sent Rep. Eric Cantor (R-Va.), the House majority leader, to the ash heap on Tuesday night, vanquishing the incumbent by more than 10 points in the primary race, the politerati were stunned. Political journalists scrambled to answer a question: who is this guy? The political pros knew that Brat had mounted a campaign largely based on two issues: bashing Cantor on immigration (that is, excoriating the congressman, who was quite hesitant about immigration reform, for not killing the possibility of any immigration legislation) and denouncing Cantor for supporting a debt ceiling deal that averted possible financial crisis. But not much else was widely known about this local professor who dispatched a Washington power broker.A quick review of his public statements reveals a fellow who is about as tea party as can be. He appears to endorse <a href="http://youtu.be/UzL211DjoWc?t=10m22s" target="blank" style="text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 1px dotted rgb(0, 0, 0);">slashing</a> Social Security payouts to seniors by two-thirds. He wants to <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zXckln2fDt4" target="blank" style="text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 1px dotted rgb(0, 0, 0);">dissolve the IRS</a>. And he has called for drastic cuts to education funding, <a href="http://youtu.be/zoaTmCWsQ68?t=13m23s" target="blank" style="text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 1px dotted rgb(0, 0, 0);">explaining</a>, "My hero Socrates trained in Plato on a rock. How much did that cost? So the greatest minds in history became the greatest minds in history without spending a lot of money."An economics professor at Randolph-Macon College in central Virginia, Brat frequently has repeated the <a href="http://www.motherjones.com/mojo/2008/12/gops-fanniefreddie-fixation" target="blank" style="text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 1px dotted rgb(0, 0, 0);">conservative canard</a> that Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae brought down the housing market by handling the vast majority of subprime mortgages. That is, he <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QfPJdBnbheE" target="blank" style="text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 1px dotted rgb(0, 0, 0);">absolves Big Finance</a> and the banks of responsibility for the financial crisis that triggered the recession, which hammered middle-class and low-income families across the country. (In fact, as the housing bubble grew, Freddie and Fannie <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/marvin-meadors/fannie-mae-freddie_b_1549411.html" target="blank" style="text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 1px dotted rgb(0, 0, 0);">shed their subprime holdings</a>, while banks grabbed more.)In his campaign speeches, Brat has pointed out that he isn't worried about climate change because <a href="http://youtu.be/zoaTmCWsQ68?t=50s" target="blank" style="text-decoration: none; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: dotted; border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">"rich countries solve their problems"</a>:<blockquote style="margin: 2em 0px; line-height: 1.8em; padding-left: 20px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">If you let Americans do their thing, there is no scarcity, right?  They said we're going to run out of food 200 years ago, that we're goin' to have a ice age. Now we're heating up…Of course we care for the environment, but we're not mad people. Over time, rich countries solve their problems. We get it right. It's not all perfect, but we get it right.</blockquote>Update: After Mother Jones published this piece, several videos referenced were set to private.He did not say what might happen to not-so-rich countries due to climate change and the consequent rise in sea levels, droughts, and extreme weather.<a href="http://youtu.be/UzL211DjoWc?t=10m22s" target="blank" style="text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 1px dotted rgb(0, 0, 0);">Asked about cuts to Social Security Disability Insurance</a><a href="http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2014/06/david-brat-eric-cantor-common-good-climate-change#correction" style="text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 1px dotted rgb(0, 0, 0);">*</a>, Brat replied that he supported drastic reductions in payouts from social programs for seniors:<blockquote style="margin: 2em 0px; line-height: 1.8em; padding-left: 20px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">I'll give you my general answer. And my general answer is you have to do what's fair. Right. So you put together a graph or a chart and you go out to the American people, you go to the podium, and you say, this is what you put in on average, this is what you get out on average. Currently, seniors are getting about three dollars out of all of the programs for every dollar they put in. So, in general, you've got to go to the American people and just be honest with them and say, "Here's what fairness would look like." Right. So, maybe the next ten years we have to grandfather some folks in, but basically we're going to move them in a direct line toward fairness and we have to live within our means.</blockquote>He frets about <a href="http://youtu.be/zoaTmCWsQ68?t=5m25s" target="blank" style="text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 1px dotted rgb(0, 0, 0);">the state of morality in schools</a> and about Beyoncé:<blockquote style="margin: 2em 0px; line-height: 1.8em; padding-left: 20px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">For the first 13 years of your kid's life, we teach them no religion, no philosophy, and no ethics…Who is our great moral teachers these days? Every generation has always had great theologians or philosophers by the century that you can name. Who do we got right now? [Audience: Jay-Z] Right. Right. [Audience: Beyoncé] Right. Beyoncé. When you can't name a serious philosopher, a national name, or a serious theologian, or a serious religious leader, at the national level, your culture's got a major problem. We got a major problem.</blockquote>Brat railed against Cantor for supporting a path to citizenship for some undocumented immigrants. Brat called this <a href="http://youtu.be/shwUqJ3WUHE?t=3m42s" target="blank" style="text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 1px dotted rgb(0, 0, 0);">a policy of "amnesty"</a> and accused Cantor of "getting big paychecks" from groups like the Chamber of Commerce for his position:<blockquote style="margin: 2em 0px; line-height: 1.8em; padding-left: 20px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">If I misspoke and said "secretly," he's been pretty out in the open. He's been in favor of the <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/07/11/eric-cantor-bob-goodlatte-kids-act_n_3581635.html" target="blank" style="text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 1px dotted rgb(0, 0, 0);">KIDS Act</a>, the <a href="http://thehill.com/homenews/house/310591-house-gop-crafting-gop-version-of-dream-act" target="blank" style="text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 1px dotted rgb(0, 0, 0);">DREAM Act</a>, the <a href="http://www.politico.com/story/2014/05/eric-cantor-immigration-enlist-act-jeff-denham-106769.html" target="blank" style="text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 1px dotted rgb(0, 0, 0);">ENLIST Act</a> [which <a href="http://www.politico.com/story/2014/05/eric-cantor-immigration-enlist-act-jeff-denham-106769.html" target="blank" style="text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 1px dotted rgb(0, 0, 0);">Cantor blocked</a> in May]…On the amnesty card, it's a matter of motivation. I teach third-world economic development for the past 20 years, I love all people, I went to seminary before I did my economics, and so you look at the motivation. Why is Eric pushing amnesty? It's not a big issue in our district, everyone's opposed to it, and so why is he doing it? And the answer is, 'cause he's got his eye on the speakership. He wants to be speaker, and big business, right? The Business Roundtable and the US Chamber of Commerce wants cheap labor. So he actually is selling out the people in our district. He's not representing the district, the will of the people, and he's getting big paychecks by doing so. So he's very clear on amnesty.</blockquote>Brat is, not surprisingly, <a href="http://youtu.be/zoaTmCWsQ68?t=11m36s" target="blank" style="text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 1px dotted rgb(0, 0, 0);">no fan of the United Nations</a>:<blockquote style="margin: 2em 0px; line-height: 1.8em; padding-left: 20px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">"Common-" anything I'm against. United Nations. Common everything. If you say common, by definition you're saying it's top-down. I'm going to force this on you. That's what dictators do.</blockquote>His view of who deploys a top-down approach, naturally, includes President Barack Obama:<blockquote style="margin: 2em 0px; line-height: 1.8em; padding-left: 20px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">The left does not believe in diversity. They believe in top-down, I'm going to force my way onto you. Obama is forcing un-diversity onto everybody. It's not diversity. It's top down, central planning, on everything.</blockquote>As Mother Jones's Timothy Murphy noted, Brat, <a href="http://www.motherjones.com/mojo/2014/06/eric-cantor-dave-brat-what-happened" target="blank" style="text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 1px dotted rgb(0, 0, 0);">a libertarian</a> but not a full Randian, and he doesn't buy the idea that there's anything dangerous about playing chicken with the debt ceiling. Bring it on, he says.In November, Brat will face Democrat Jack Trammell, a fellow Randolph-Macon professor, in the general election in this Republican district.Correction: An earlier version of this article stated Brat was answering a question about Medicare. In fact, he was asked about Social Security Disability Insurance===</div></div></div></div></div>