David Corn

My pleasure.

And let me just ask people to look up my new newsletter and go to davidcorn.com.

davidcorn.com it is.

I'm going to go look it up right now.

David, thank you so much.

No!

No! When we come back, David Corn will be in the studio.

Don't go away.

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Thanks for being here.

How Russia won.

David Corn,

quick

Also joining us, New York Times Global Affairs correspondent Anton Troianovsky.

And joining me at the table, Washington, D.C. Bureau Chief for Mother Jones, David Corn.

He's the author of the book, How Russia Won, Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin, and the Fight for America.

I feel like your timing is never completely intentional, but your timing is exquisite.

Hey, welcome to our program.

On the line with us is our old buddy, David Corn, the journalist, the Washington, DC Bureau Chief for Mother Jones magazine, and most im-- and the author of multiple books.

Most recently, How Russia Won: Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin, and the Fight for America.

The website is howrussiawon.com, and the book, of course, is available wherever fine books are available.

He's welcomed a wa-- an indicted war criminal into his arms.

And he's, you know, after all these, you know, a year and a half or more of an erratic position on the Ukraine war, Trump, in the past week, has clearly landed on Vladimir Putin's side.

side.So w- we're, we're speaking with David Corn.

He has a new book out, How Russia Won: Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin, and the Fight for America.

What's your big-picture view on kind of the nature of the Trump-Putin relationship? I don't think we've really gotten into this.

Um, you know, David Corn has a, a new book out, um, and I have not read the book yet, but however, I did hear him discuss it on, on a podcast where they went pretty in-depth with, uh, Charlie Sykes a week or so ago, where he was talking about h- how he doesn't necessarily believe that, um, there's any sort of kompromat in the way that we would think about it between Trump and Putin, but Trump has kind of a psychological affinity for dictators.

And, uh, you know, he, he cites specifically, uh, in 2025, when Putin came to Alaska, how when Trump was waiting for him after the red carpet had been laid for Putin and, and Trump was standing on the tarmac, how he was literally jumping up and down and kind of clapping like a little child, you know, seeing their, their parent after a day at daycare or something like that.

He was so excited to see Putin.

In any event, it's pretty lovely out.

And, uh, making it even more lovely is the fact that we are being joined by our friend David Corn, noted journalist, but most importantly over the past few weeks, he has been out there on the book trail promoting his unbelievably well-timed, uh, uh, and really good, uh, book, How Russia Won: Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin, and the Fight for America.

How's the book tour going, David?

You know, there are lots and lots of podcasts, David.

We never had any kind of example that was as egregious as what happened last week when the president of the United States decided to throw a cash lifeline to Vladimir Putin for diesel that we didn't need, that wouldn't make any difference in our market, but would help him fund his war in Ukraine and, by extension, since he's sending missiles and intelligence to Iran, help him have the wherewithal to fund a war against us.

Yeah, I mean, it's the most unbelievable case of providing aid and comfort to not one or two enemies in not one but two shooting wars that matter a lot for the world that we've ever seen, and it's from a president.

And David, I don't understand why more people aren't incredibly outraged, freaking out and saying, "The first thing I do is buy David Corn's book, and then the second thing I do is march in the street."

Well, w- w- I mean, thank you for that, and I think that is the right, appropriate reaction.

The New York Times reports this, quote, "It may not even do much to lower diesel prices.

Economists have said the amount of fuel discussed is not enough to move the needle significantly." Joining our coverage, Washington, DC Bureau Chief for Mother Jones, David Corn, is the author of a must-read new book, How Russia Won: Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin, and the Fight for America.

Sarah and Jake are still here.

David, last time you were here, one of the last things we talked about [whooshing sound] was how the most successful op Trump ran was in shaming Democrats in some corners of the media, luckily not you, from covering his affinity for ties to and policy outputs that so clearly benefit Vladimir Putin by calling it a hoax, by having all of his acolytes on social media shame journalists and Democrats who ask questions about it.

Yeah.

Desperation.

Um, David Corn, thank you for being here today.

Uh, Sarah Longwell, thank you for spending the whole hour with us.

Yep.

This is the book by my friend Christopher Steele.

I had lunch with Christopher Steele a few years ago.

And it was literally spy versus spy, right? It's just like two spies out for lunch.

Identical.

identical, just a long read version.

And then my friend David Corn came out with his book in 2018.

And I had already just published Plot to Destroy Democracy, which got to number six on the New York Times bestsellers list.