Hot on the heels of MSNBC’s Lawrence O’Donnell’s false and humiliating report that Russian oligarchs had co-signed President Trump’s loans with Deutsche Bank, Rachel Maddow is beating the drums on a new conspiracy theory. The latest conception comes from a reckless editorial published last week by the Washington Post which claims that Trump is slow walking $250 million in aid to Ukraine until they agree to help him win the 2020 election by damaging Joe Biden’s campaign.
The editorial is entitled, “Trump tries to force Ukraine to meddle in the 2020 election.” The editors write:
Some suspect Mr. Trump is once again catering to Mr. Putin, who is dedicated to undermining Ukrainian democracy and independence. But we’re reliably told that the president has a second and more venal agenda: He is attempting to force Mr. Zelensky to intervene in the 2020 U.S. presidential election by launching an investigation of the leading Democratic candidate, Joe Biden. Mr. Trump is not just soliciting Ukraine’s help with his presidential campaign; he is using U.S. military aid the country desperately needs in an attempt to extort it.The strong-arming of Mr. Zelensky was openly reported to the New York Times last month by Mr. Trump’s personal lawyer, Rudolph W. Giuliani, who said he had met in Madrid with a close associate of the Ukrainian leader and urged that the new government restart an investigation of Mr. Biden and his son.
The editors cite as their source Rudy Giuliani, who is one of the President’s most ardent supporters. The use of Giuliani as a source of malicious information about Trump tells us immediately that the New York Times has conveniently taken his words, which we are not told in their editorial, out of context.
At any rate, Maddow has jumped at the opportunity to promote this story. Here’s what she told her viewers in her smarmy, sanctimonious way. The clip is shown in the tweet below.
At any rate, Maddow has jumped at the opportunity to promote this story. Here’s what she told her viewers in her smarmy, sanctimonious way. The clip is shown in the tweet below.
We have known that President Trump is holding up this aid to Ukraine. We have known that that is dodgy, given how much of a favor that is to Vladimir Putin and Russia. And given that the President is contradicting the Pentagon and insisting on holding back that money. Given that the Trump administration hasn’t told anyone they’re doing this. They just hope that no one will notice. It’s been pretty obvious that something dodgy and worrying is going on here.But, if the Washington Post is right that Ukraine is not getting its military aid unless they do something to try to hurt Joe Biden’s presidential campaign…???They’re trying to get Ukraine to help Trump beat Biden, his expected rival for the 2020 campaign. They want Ukraine’s help with that. They want Ukraine to cook something up against Biden or they don’t get their money.If that’s really what’s going on here, I honestly am going to walk out of this movie.
If only she would.
There is nothing to rebut. Maddow’s remarks, as well as those of the Washington Post, are entirely devoid of facts. Both are nothing more than wishful speculation.
Doesn’t she realize that, as Vice President, Biden himself once threatened to withhold $1 billion of aid to the country unless the Ukrainian President fired the prosecutor who was about to question his son, Hunter Biden, on his business dealings. Worse still, Biden insisted the order be carried out by the time his plane left the country which was to happen in six hours. The prosecutor was fired as requested.
During a 2018 speech before a group of foreign policy strategists, Biden boasted about this incident.
Did she not learn anything from O’Donnell’s embarrassing “if true” report two weeks ago. I suppose she believes she can always point to the Washington Post as her source. But the Post doesn’t have any evidence either. And twisted words from Rudy Giuliani do not constitute a source.
The top brass at NBC Universal shouldn’t be surprised if they receive another missive from Trump’s attorneys over this.
Rachel Maddow is not a journalist, she’s a propagandist.
This is what desperation looks like.