FED UP Army Vet Reveals MAGA CONGRESS TIES to RUSSIAN Disinfo OP

but we begin tonight with Russia still listening and still interfering in our elections that is what we learned when the justice department announced indictments and sanctions Wednesday in a scheme that sounds straight out of 2016 the doj charged two Russian media Executives in an alleged plot to illegally funnel millions of dollars to right-wing influencers by way of a prot trump media Outlet it's Ken Harbaugh on the midest touch Network shock I know but it turns out that some of the most influential Maga commentators have been taking money from Russia to spread disinformation now the biggest names among them claim they were victims of this scheme I don't know how much that actually matters because the propaganda they were spreading was straight out of Putin's Playbook here's one of those influencers Tim P who was paid $100,000 a week to lie about Ukraine's war effort Ukraine is the enemy of this country Ukraine is our enemy being funded by the Democrats I will stress this again one of the greatest enemies of our nation right now is Ukraine Ukraine is the greatest threat to this nation and to the world we should rescind all funding and financing pull out all military support and we should apologize to Russia if you've been wondering how in the world so much of the Maga Universe has bought into this notion that Russia is the victim here it's because of propaganda like this paid for by Russia it's telling that as soon as this plot was exposed these right-wing commentators who parade their opinions like they're actually rooted in principles these commentators started to flip here's a tweet from Tim P the person you just heard saying that Ukraine is America's greatest enemy and that we should apologize to Russia I'll read it for our podcast listeners he writes upon reflection I Now understand that you Ukraine is our greatest Ally as the Bread Basket of Europe and a peace loving people we cannot allow the fascist Russians to continue their crimes against humanity we must redouble our efforts and provide an additional $200 billion at once this is how utterly vacuous these right-wing ideologues are in the span of a single indictment Timo goes from calling Ukraine our worst enemy to saying they are our greatest Ally now Tim p and his fellow propagandists don't get a vote on Aid to Ukraine they're not members of Congress but they are hugely influential in the magas spere and that has a direct impact on how Congress votes here's Joy Reed again with just a few examples these are the tip of the iceberg of course it's not like Russia had to pay everyone since we all know there are elected officials willing to push the Kremlin n the Kremlin line for free Vladimir Putin has not said he wants to go march across Europe and take Europe and and the reality is Ukraine is not even a NATO member Nation but if you want to know something Lloyd Austin and the others here more than anything want to send your uncles your cousins and your sons and daughters to the front lines in Ukraine I will not vote for one more dollar to Ukraine I will not vote for one more piece of material to Ukraine we are far too entangled in this conflict I believe we have exended this conflict what's in America's best interest is to accept Ukraine is going to have to seed some territory to the Russians and we need to bring this war to a close I spoke with one of the good guys in Congress and an old friend Jason crow about all this he's a former Army Ranger and has been a stalwart supporter of Ukraine's Fight For Freedom we cover a lot of other ground as well Jason's a rising star in the Democratic party and spoke at the convention in Chicago I guarantee if you are not yet a fan of his you will be here's me and Jason Crow thrilled to have Jason Crow on the Ken harau show he's a former Army Ranger represents Colorado's sixth congressional district and he's an old friend Jason welcome to the show Ken it's great to be back and always always good to see you my friend it was good to see you however briefly at the DNC loved your speech we'll get into that um we'll get into do a lot but first I've got to get your reaction to this indictment that was just unsealed unveiling this massive Russian disinformation campaign using right-wing podcasters and other influencers to interfere in our election and equally dangerously to undermine Ukraine's defense one of those wrapped up in this is Tim P we ran the the clip of of him laying into Ukraine calling it America's biggest enemy he has since flipped done a complete 180 on that after being exposed as a Russian agent witing or or not um you didn't see this coming did you I I'm assuming you're being sarcastic about that but uh I mean listen uh it's great to see these indictments and the dog doj seize these servers and shut these operations down because it's no surprise to any that Russia has a very longstanding effort to sew chaos and Discord into our political uh um discussions to put these false narratives to to you know dump fuel on uh Flames uh of tension within our own Society they did it in 2016 they tried to do it in 2020 and they're going to try to do it again in 2024 you know from Vladimir Putin's perspective this is a really good investment to make because he can for very small amounts money he can uh you know try to create chaos within our political system and you know the the challenge for us is that it gives this impression to Americans and American voters that there's this huge surge of resistance to some of our foreign policies uh in our support for Ukraine and our support for NATO and for our allies when in reality a lot of this is fabricated stuff right that's not to say that there isn't legit concern right that's not to say that there aren't legitimate people asking legitimate questions but there are an awful lot of troll Farms an awful lot of fake efforts uh generating a lot of discussion and a lot of attention on social media that is just not true you have been stalwart in your support from Ukraine since the beginning of the invasion even before that your PIN tweet on your official uh Twitter page is a phone call with soldiers in Ukraine well why don't you share with the audience what you were communicating to them in that video yeah I I you know I'd love to talk about why I'm a supporter of Ukraine but in that particular video I was just about getting ready to walk across the street from my office in Long Longworth house office building on the hill uh and to vote on the uh the most recent National Security Supplemental support Ukraine so I called these soldiers these Special Forces operators who were in a bunker on the front lines uh folks that I these are folks I've been in touch with and had kept in touch with and I told them I was getting ready to walk across the street and vote on that bill to uh pass uh new funding and to open up the spigots again of of Us weapons and equipment and ammunition because these these Special Forces soldiers these Ukrainian operators these were folks who were in active combat operations who literally told me they were running out of ammunition right so I I and said you know help help is on the way and we're doing everything to push it so it was a very emotional moment for me personally as a as a fellow combat veteran you know all your your combat vets you know listen to your podcast know there's a special camaraderie regardless of nationality between fellow combat veterans so I know you know what it's like to to be on those front lines and and to want more Aid want more help want more attention to your plight and not necessarily get it can be a very lonely uh very lonely situation I just want to let them know that they were not alone yeah I I spent some time uh at the front with soldiers just like that a few months ago and that was the the refrain I mean the the tension in those conversations was palpable because on one hand they were so grateful for all that America had done but they were desperate for us to live up to our promises and terrified that Donald Trump might might Prevail in November and pull the rug out from under them um I'm actually headed back to Ukraine tomorrow so maybe we can offline you can tell me uh who those soft guys were and I'll bring them some some cigars for you um but appreciate you going over there they say that they love love see I appreciate you going over there and doing that I they love uh love those visitors it actually is a morale booster for them when people come by and and and let them know that you know we're standing with them yeah um yes it it certainly is but in the back of my mind I am deeply worried that Americans won't appreciate why their defense matters to us and will we'll choose a commander-in-chief who has called Russia's Invasion brilliant who was told Putin he can do whatever the hell he wants um if uh if NATO doesn't pay its bills we have a lot writing on this election but Ukraine's very existence is writing on our election and I don't think I'm overstating it yeah I don't think you are either I think it is that important I mean Ukraine cannot go this alone we know they have The Bravery in the Courage the resiliency the toughness the the the um Meyer Spirit you know I always call them the Meyers of Modern Warfare they can do incredible things with with what people give them but but they do need the support and and it's it's in our interest and I know you've long spoken about this Ken but this is not charity actually this is not the American people giving charity to the ukrainians you know it's important for us to help Ukraine fight and win because you know Freedom loving people and and democracies of the world need to stick together otherwise we'll be divided and we'll fall divided but this is actually in America's economic in security interests directly uh and for less than 5% of our annual defense budget which is what our Aid uh um uh consists of across the years uh we are securing Food Supplies we are securing Europe we are securing our 880,000 troops in Europe the hundreds of thousands of Americans living there uh and we're we're also at the same time um restoring our own Readiness because we're giving Ukraine as you know we're giving Ukraine our old supplies our old equipment and ammunitions and the new stuff that's being bought goes to our troops uh so this is a win-win win win for the American taxpayer and you don't get many of those no you don't my guess is your Republican colleagues get it the vast majority of them get it some are even outspoken about it but way too many are cowering on this issue they're afraid of Donald Trump and now JD Vance who could be one heartbeat away from the presidency who has said literally not paraphrasing I could care less what happens in Ukraine am I right about that that within Congress there is a broad consensus but there's just fear among Republicans to to stick their necks out yeah you know the story of of the Trump ERA with elected with Republican elected officials and I'm casting a broad brush here there there are some that stand out for their courage and for their independence and and for doing the right thing there's no doubt about it but but there are there are far too many who have given into that fear uh for Donald Trump because they know better actually they they do know better I talked to them I have private conversations they know that Donald Trump is a danger they know this man is irresponsible they know that supporting Ukraine is an American's National Security and economic interest and that this is a bargain for the taxpayer and that we should do it uh but they're too afraid to say otherwise because of the the um the Takeover the H sale takeover by Donald Trump out the Republican base you know it has has run astray of its conservative Roots this is not the party of Reagan anymore this is not the party of of the bushes anymore this is not an independent political party by the definition historical definition of a political party this is the party of one man right and he demands full loyalty and falty to himself not to some ideology not to some belief principle uh and it's extremely Danger dous right I mean you you should ask yourself what does what does that part even stand for right now right um I was raised a Republican and a republican family I know this people that I love are Republicans um it it certainly doesn't stand for the principles that it long stood for and it's current iteration that's not to say we can't get back there and it can't get back there and I actually firmly believe as a matter of fact that it's important for us to have a healthy strong Republican party for our system to work right as a Democrat um as a proud Democrat I need to have good partners on the other side people that believe that the Earth is round and the sky is blue and facts are facts to actually negotiate legislation and to get things done and that's becoming harder and harder for me to do I think we got part of our answer about what the Republican party of today represents during the RNC and and it really came into Focus during the Democratic Convention when when it occurred to me that what we were doing there was nominating someone who reflected the party and who reflected the country who projected this vision of of Hope and optimism and joy I don't want to overuse the word but you felt it in the arena those four days it was a joyous occasion and it reflected what Americans want as opposed to the RNC and the Republican party where I think the inverse is true the Republican party has become a reflection of its leader not the other way around and it seems like everything they're doing now from the nepotism at the RNC to the abandonment we just talked to a uh a Lutheran Minister on on this show the abandonment of of basic Christian principles within the Evangelical Community that's supporting Trump the party has become a reflection of its leader which is pretty ominous because that is exactly the pattern that you see in every totalitarian takeover yeah I think that that is a fair characterization of what has become of this party and in the vastly different Visions right I me the the contrast couldn't be more clear right you have you the RNC was about fear and and otherizing uh and um you know just just these Notions of division and and and pulling us apart listen that stuff has a shelf life actually I think it doesn't last very long like people fundamentally don't want to just always be afraid all the time uh and and feel as though the sky is falling you know there there are very real challenges that our country faces there's no doubt and people are struggling in a lot of very real ways but uh um having a positive vision for how to move forward how to come together and address that is fundamentally the way that we do it it's what people want but but more importantly it's what actually will be successful it's what will mobilize the talents uh and and you know the the the the power of this country whenever we've done big things in our history big important things we've done it when we've come together when we've focused on what we have in common and we have a positive proactive Vision always yeah we've never done big things by by dividing each other and being afraid and that to me is the essence of patriotism another idea concept that the Democratic party is reclaiming I mean you saw it there in in Chicago and as a vet you were one of many who took the stage over over those four days how have you processed that in in the aftermath it filled me in the moment with immense Pride to see the American flags to hear those chants of USA but in the aftermath I realized something else which is this is the most terrifying thing to Maga today is the reclaiming of patriotism by democrats yeah you know we are reclaiming it but we're also um in my view it's not just about reclaiming what patriotism is about it's about patriotism 2.0 yeah right this new American patriotism I actually call it new American patriotism because it's not just about waving the flag and and tying yellow ribbons on the tree and and and talking about our accomplishments which you know are important things to do right and I do them too but this new version of patriotism I think allows us to be stronger and more honest uh and more unified than we ever been and and here's what it looks like to me it it it means actually having strength and confidence to look at our history and to say we have not always fulfilled our promise of the more perfect union that we are we are not we are not yet where we need to be right the the beauty uh in America is the striving the constant striving in work towards that more perfect union but we're not there yet and and we we have we have made some big mistakes and we we've had some really tough moments in our history that that we need to be honest about and if we're able to be honest about that we can at the same time be proud of our ability for self-correction for for for improvement for moving forward that is the beauty of our system that has built in capacity for improvement and change that that so many other countries don't have and that to me is something to be proud of and something we can look to to is is the this new type of patriotism yeah well we are reading from the exact same sheet of music there um and we hit that theme as often as we can on this show a patriotism that holds America accountable that wants us to live up to our promises instead of being stuck in the past a a purely regressive kind of of patriotism it's Ken Harbaugh quick break here because I have two favors to ask we're off to a great start with to Ken Harbaugh show on YouTube but the podcast needs a little love please click the link below to follow rate and review the success of shows like this really does depend on those ratings and if you haven't yet followed me on patreon please check it out it's free to sign up or you can pitch in a few bucks a month every dollar goes back into this show and our pro- democracy efforts including the reporting from Ukraine go to patreon.com Harbaugh thanks for the support are you looking for something simple and delicious to add to your Wellness routine you're not going to believe how delicious manacor honey is I actually hide it from the kids unfortunately my son is almost taller than me now so he can reach the top shelf but this stuff goes fast in our house I've never tasted honey like it it's more like caramel honestly it's Rich creamy and ethically produced by manora's Master beekeepers in the remote forests of New Zealand manacor honey contains powerful nutrients to support support immunity and gut health the bees collect the nectar from the Manuka Tea Tree in New Zealand the nectar is packed with bioactives and the honey that is produced has three times more antioxidants and prebiotics than your average honey a special antibacterial compound called MGO also comes from the nectar of the tea tree it's a GameChanger and all you need is one heaped teaspoon each morning to get the most out of the amazing bioactives additional usage throughout the day is completely fine especially if it helps cut out other sweeteners manacor honey is honey with superpowers and it's easier than ever to try it head to manor.com Ken to get $25 off the starter kit which comes with an MGO 850 plus Manuka Honey Jar five honey travel sticks a wooden spoon and a guide book thanks manora for sponsoring this episode I got to switch topics to something uh quite a bit tougher B because it's the first week of of school uh or was the first week of of school we're coming off it and we had true to form our first school shooting and I dropped my kids off this morning and I I recall reading a a tweet last night that said remember what they were wearing and that stuck with me right um as a dad of three you shouldn't have to remember what your kids were wearing out of fear that it might be the last time um you send them off to to day in school but you represent a district that has had its own tragedies you you have a colleague in your Colorado delegation who is the the avatar for gun fetishization right Lauren bobbert and her yeah and her holiday cards and the AR-15 pens I'm trying to get to a question here um mostly I'm just venting but I guess one of the we can vent we should vent because it's it's a it's a damn nightmare this is a national nightmare yeah there's no other way to talk about it is is there any realization yet among your colleagues on the right that they are part of the problem and let me ask it in a specific way are you still seeing AR-15 pel pins the day after a school shooting like we did after youal day or is there at least some self-awareness and shame seeping into that party over this issue there there's unfortunately I think very little self-awareness and shame very little very little and I I it's um you know this is this is one of the reasons I I got into elected office actually I I you know have kids uh they they do school school shooter drill now uh you know my my daughter when she was very young in kindergarten you know came back and told me she had a what she called a bad guy drill that day and had to hide in the ba bathroom in case a bad guy ever came for them uh you know I represent a district that had Coline had the a war theater shooting had two other school shootings more shootings than than any Community should ever have to deal with um we're just failing on this there's no other way to put this we're failing our children we're failing our communities there is a now a collective trauma that our kids go through um in school that we didn't have to grow up in because guess what this is not the price of freedom and never was until the last two decades right this is a fairly new phenomena now we we didn't grow up with this um this generation is growing up with it so it's not the price of of anything this is the price of of failed public policy and failed leadership is what it is um so yeah there's a way to to to fix this we don't have to live with this and we're the only industrialized nation in the world that has this problem right which tells you that you know we have something very broken in our system here and I say that I say that can um you know being a gun owner myself right I've I've owned guns since I was a teen right I was given my first hunting rifle when I was 12 I started hunting when I was 12 I grew up hunting and fishing and then I was a ranger you I use these weapons at War I had them used against me so you know whenever bber and the other people walk around with guns I can I can tell you I know more about guns than they'll ever know than they'll ever forget about guns right um and and and I know that uh they're lying uh they're misrepresenting what what what gun culture really has historically been about in our country and they're doing so for their own politics and for their own power and it's frankly very disgusting well the latest disgusting example of that of course is Mike Collins who represents the district where this latest school shooting occurred and I mean he's famous within Congress for campaigning on uh on this this over-the-top um aggressive use of guns in his ads string around uh with you know images of Nancy Pelosi off to the side and an AR-15 over his back telling Democrats he's coming for them and blowing up I don't know a trash can or something um maybe we'll we'll roll the clip and all he has after an actual shooting in his own District are thoughts and prayers hey Mike Collin here you Pro Trump America First trucker running for congress here in Georgia 10 well I understand oh Joe Biden was in town yesterday to talk about our elections it seems that he and Cala Harris called anyone who disagreed with the federal hijacking of this election a racist well Joe I got some news for you let me tell you what Georgians really believe first of all you count the legal votes that were cast in the state of Georgia Donald Trump won this state period number two get rid of those voting machines go back to papay for ballots once and for all number three get rid of those ridiculous dropboxes across this state that the Democrats use to stuff the ballots and steal our elections number four let's go to National forensic audits in every election cycle across this country a matter of fact it's one of the first bills I'll introduce when I get to Washington you see Georgians are sick and tired of weak need spineless politicians who won't fight for Trump get to the bottom of 2020 and fix our elections well if they won't do it Mike Collins [Music] will send me to Washington I'll fix this election I'll get to the bottom of 2020 and I will fight for Trump's America First agenda is the is there any approaching someone like that and bringing them over I I mean I believe in Eternal second chances I think Governor walls is a is an incredible example of someone who came around Who Saw The Light whose own daughter hope said Dad I am ashamed by your A+ NRA rating look at look at that money and change your heart and he had that change of heart and uh and has has become a champion of Common Sense gun reform as a hunter right as a veteran yeah can that happen to Republicans I believe it can I don't think I I wouldn't do this job if I didn't think that people weren't capable of changing and we weren't capable of forcing change on any one issue right um because I would just be banging my head against the brick wall and I don't really feel like doing that right so um yeah I do think that people can change we have to we have to um that changes much slower than it should be but we have to keep at it we have to keep trying to personalize this issue for folks and let them know what their communities want and and and look at the look at how much it's changed on this right like when I ran in my district in 2018 I my my one of my biggest issues was gun violence right and people are like well you shouldn't run on a on a Frontline Battleground District in in in the West on on guns I'm like well the hell with that I'm I'm going to run an issue that I think we need to run on and people people want leadership on uh and I did and uh we so it's just one example of many of how we are bending the curve on this and we need to keep the pressure up yeah yeah um last question you carried project 2025 like the actual plan that is a big book let me tell you that's a heavy B look well yeah I mean my question is is that is that it is that real can you get that on Amazon how does one get project 2025 in a like print form yeah you can find it online right it's online in like PDF form I'm I did not ask the the DNC organizers where they found the the large version I don't know uh I mean it was actually it was it was in the pages right it wasn't a prop like you pull the pages open uh and uh was backstage with Elizabeth Warren uh because we were we were on around the same time backstage and we were like piecing through the book together looking at the parade of horribles in there uh and it's it's pretty crazy stuff it is and that's what I really want to ask about it's more of a philosophical question I mean The Audacity Of The the far-right movement these days to actually write down their plan to end America as we know it yeah and think think that it's going to fly right by and then the audacity of Trump World to try to distance itself from this dark vision for America when just about everybody in in Trump's campaign had a had a hand in Project 2025 and vice versa yes closest advisers were helped put it together yeah right well his vice presidential uh running mate is writing the forward to the right the the book written by Kevin Roberts the head of the Heritage Foundation the think tank behind project 2025 um I don't know if it's if it's political malpractice to on the part of Republicans to just be so um so overt in these attempts to undermine our institutions or if they really have the confidence of the Zealot right which is the most dangerous kind that they're going to they're going to get away with it well I think I think there's some combination of things going on here I think they're they're going toh try to do what they've done in the past and that is vote engage in voter suppression right it's so hope that people don't vote um they're gonna they're going to you know unfairly attack and demonize and vilify their opponent and try to make it about the lies that they're telling about their opponents uh and and and you know there is this uh Playbook that they're using where they'll they will say and do things and they'll say exactly what they plan to do do but then when they're criticized for it or someone calls them out on it they say I never said that you you you're not hearing what you think I said uh and and you know you're not seeing what I did right they just they just outright deny it and and you know it's like National it's like a national form of gaslighting right um so uh you see a variety of these these tools that they're using and it's very dangerous and very disturbing stuff you called out specifically the plans in Project 2025 to gut the VA to go after veterans benefits how can we communicate that more clearly to to our veteran buddies well we just say it right we just have to say it on this podcast and other places like they want to privatize the VA they want to cut VA benefits and know by the way uh Donald Trump has a long history of maligning our veterans and our fallen and and our goldar families you know it's pretty clear what he thinks about people who make sacrifice or put service above self as a priority he thinks we're Chumps right's he's a man who couldn't possibly understand the notion of service right see it's all it's always about the bargain for him it's always about what he can get what kind of deal can he get out of somebody or how he benefits from it he fundamentally doesn't understand this concept of service and sacrifice for others he doesn't and anybody who does that are Chumps or suckers and losers right he he has said that repeatedly right so we just got to keep on calling it out right all all of these things right walk away from our partners and allies isolate ourselves from the world let let Russia and Vladimir Putin do whatever he wants to do to whoever he wants to do it to um it's pretty clear what he stands for at this point is there anything we can do to get the the people who were closest to Trump especially the veterans during his first term to speak out now I mean many of them made their statements and then they retreated and they're they're letting that statement carry the entire uh burden that I think they have um to their responsibility to the American people but Millie and well mcmaster's been a huge disappointment with the uh the book release but Mattis yeah um the others should they be doing more you know I think I think this is a consequence of of making sure that people know that there's room for them here right that that uh you know we are we are not ideologically in L lack step we you know we're not going to uh um uh push people out who want to come to our side for the purposes of saving democracy right Liz Cheney has come out in the other day right who you know is an extremely conservative person right Adam kininger you know many others right we we have to make sure that we're letting people know there's room for them right now because our project is to is to help save our democracy and to push back against um you know folks who are trying to undermine it and and and that is a project that you know we can all come together uh and and pursue together right and then there will be a time for us to have these very detailed debates which we need to have but right now the the challenge is so big and so Stark uh that we have to make sure that we're making room for as many people as as want to come our way to help us with this with this current project and this current Challenge and I also say that I'm proud I'm proud of you know the the Democratic party for um it's it's a big tent approach right we don't shy away from debates from tough conversations like some people call that weakness right some people be like oh it's we're having tough debates or we're fractured or we're not unified or were we hell no like having tough debates about tough issues uh and and and having the the confidence to be open about that is exactly who we want to be yeah I'm with you um couldn't have have put it better I think that Devotion to those tough conversations and that introspection is how albeit with a a lot of a lot of bumps along the way we wound up with the the toughest best ticket uh you could have possibly imagined even even just a few months ago in in Harris walls and I think they're gonna I think they're going to run the table but as my Senator shered Brown says you either run scared or you run unopposed so we're going to run scared between now and November um Jason thanks so much for coming on thanks for having me Ken as always look forward to the next time be well love this video make sure you stay up todate on the latest breaking news and all things midest by signing up to the midest touch newsletter at midest touch.com newsletter [Music]