Vladimir Putin

Rick explains the sick motivations of GOP members of the House and Senate eager to hand Ukraine to Putin and pave him a path to Kyiv.

Tom joined the Strategy Session to discuss the geopolitical danger that the GOP has become and why they now are what they are.

Joe explains why walking away from Ukraine is an invitation to Putin to continue with criminal invasions of other nations.

US Citizen and member of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Sarah Ashton-Cirillo exposes the brutal and inhumane ongoing practice of using vulnerable, mentally disabled children to build weapons for Putin's senseless slaughter of Ukrainians in his illegal war of aggression.

Trump loves dictators. For today's episode, Rick discusses Bob Woodward's new book War, which highlights Donald Trump's admiration for dictators, particularly Vladimir Putin. He argues that Trump's transactional nature and attraction to power make him susceptible to autocratic influences. He warns that if re-elected, Trump would likely cut U.S. support for Ukraine, leading to a Russian victory and weakening NATO. Trump's worldview aligns more with authoritarianism than democracy, posing a serious threat to global stability and American values.

Rick speaks with hostage negotiator Mickey Bergman on what it takes to bring wrongly-detained Americans home from Russia and other hostile actors.

Steven Beschloss writes: "I will never get over July 16, 2018, the day that Donald Trump betrayed America and sided with Russian dictator Vladimir Putin in Helsinki."

Truth in politics has become an oxymoron. In this episode Rick is joined by veteran journalist and author Steven Brill to discuss his latest book, "The Death of Truth." Brill, the founder of NewsGuard, dives into how social media and the internet have become powerful tools for spreading disinformation, influencing politics, and polarizing society. The conversation covers the impact of generative AI, programmatic advertising, and the role of bad actors like Russia, China, and Iran in propagating falsehoods. Brill shares insights on combating these issues, including potential regulatory measures and political reforms. Steven's book, "The Death of Truth," available now.

Brian Daitzman examines the tensions between democratic nations and authoritarian regimes, as the global landscape resembles the prelude to World War II. He writes, "These two opposing blocs—the new Axis and Allies— are poised on the brink of global conflict. The critical question remains: what will ignite this confrontation?"

Stuart Stevens writes that the Ukraine aid "vote is being celebrated as a 'bipartisan' success, a description that obscures the reality that a majority of the Republicans voted as Vladimir Putin would have voted. Today, Bernie Sanders is to the right of the majority of Republicans on Russia. That is extraordinary. How did this happen?"

Rick Wilson and Joe Trippi were joined by special guest Gevin Reynolds to talk gag orders, criminal trials, Ukraine aid, RFK Jr's current spoiler effect, and a diminishing GOP. The calculus of the most consequential election of our lifetimes is changing. Catch up now on this fascinating episode!

How does Putin benefit from a horrific terrorist event in Russia? Brian Daitzman examines the aftermath of the Moscow concert hall attack, Putin's dismissiveness of U.S warnings, and his history of using tragedy for personal gain.

Sarah Ashton-Cirillo shines a light on the resistance efforts of anti-Putin groups and individuals in Russia, ranging from the Black Bridge partisan group to anarcho-communists. Following Navalny's passing, a shift in media attention and the renewed determination of Russian patriots aim to cripple and upend the Kremlin.

Trump doesn't hide his admiration for Putin and it's transformed the MAGA GOP's alliance with pro-democracy nations. Sarah Ashton-Cirillo and Lisa Senecal dive into the damage that realignment is doing in real time in the US and Ukraine - and the threat it poses for other European nations. They pull back the curtain on Putin's facade of military dominance and the many proof points of his weakness from silencing dissent to his strategist military ineptitude.

Grab a warm drink and a comfortable seat because Teri Kanefield breaks down the GOP connections to Russian influence and you don't want to miss a word.

Romeo Kokriatski writes from Ukraine: "So many of our countrymen have lost everything. If we allow our morale to flag, if we allow ourselves to consider any answer other than “liberation,” then we consign ourselves to lose everything too, to lose that which makes us fundamentally Ukrainian – our freedom."

Ukraine at Two Years: What Leadership Truly Means

Watch a very special episode of the Strategy Session  marking two years since Vladimir Putin's criminal invasion of Ukraine and the Ukrainian unwavering fight for freedom, independence, and democracy. Rick Wilson and Stuart Stevens are joined by special guests Sarah Ashton-Cirillo, American journalist turned volunteer fighter in the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and Olexandr Musiienko, head of the Kyiv-based Center for Military and Legal Studies. This important conversation will touch on the state of the war, the imperative of America's leadership in the West, PSYOPs and information warfare, and what the state of freedom and democracy looks like as Ukraine faces a third year of genocide at the hands of Vladimir Putin.

Turns out when most of your money is going to pay legal fees, people don't like to donate to your campaign. Joe gets into why Republicans have a huge hard money problem right now. Plus who's his pick in the Trump veepstakes? And why Alexei Navalny's final words are a lesson to everyone in the pro-democracy movement.

Robert McElvaine treats us to an annotated commentary on and translation of Trump’s post-judgment screed.

Rick Wilson: "Vladimir Putin’s long hand of death reached out yesterday and struck down Alexi Navalny in a Siberian prison. The day before, Navalny seemed healthy during a video conference in his ongoing, manufactured legal torture. The Kremlin lie that Navalny 'suddenly felt ill' is the usual sort of deception told by authoritarian regimes around the world."

Special guest Romeo Kokriatski, Managing Editor of New Voice Ukraine, joins Sarah Ashton-Cirillo and Lisa Senecal to discuss the underrepresentation of Ukrainian voices in Western media's coverage of the war. Romeo highlights the critical importance of authentic Ukrainian perspectives in understanding the ongoing conflict and its global implications for democracy. The conversation addresses the challenges faced by Ukrainian journalists, critiques Western media's narrative shortcomings, and underscores the resilience of the Ukrainian people.