video attacks gop party treason

Party of Treason video about Putin’s “puppets” of the Republican Party has been viewed more than a million times

A video attacking the Republican Party, calling it the “Treason Party”, has been viewed more than 1 million times on Twitter.

The video targets eight GOP MPs who met with senior Russian officials in July 2018, accusing them of siding with Russian President Vladimir Putin as he worked to “destabilize Western democracy.”

The ad, which is paid for by the pro-Democrat Really American PAC, is the latest use of anti-Putin sentiment in political attacks as the Russian leader comes under increased scrutiny over his invasion of Ukraine.

The meeting was attended by lawmakers: Montana Senator Steve Danes, North Dakota Senator John Hoeven, Wisconsin Senator Ron Johnson, Louisiana Senator John Kennedy, Kansas Senator Jerry Moran, Alabama Senator Richard Shelby, South Dakota Senator John Thune, and Representative Texas Kay Granger.

The video also criticized them for voting against election security bills and for rehabilitating former President Donald Trump during his first impeachment, when Democrats accused him of withholding military aid to Ukraine in order to put pressure on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

“We cannot allow his puppets to penetrate deeper into our government,” the advertisement said.

A spokesman for Kennedy wrote in a statement to Newsweek that he went on the trip to “call Russia to the carpet for trying to interfere in the election.”

After a 2018 trip that did not include meetings with Putin, lawmakers faced criticism but defended the meetings. Shelby, who led the delegation, said at the time that he told Russian officials, “The worst thing you can do is try to interfere in our elections.”

“We also told them that even though our relationship is strained, it would be better for the world if we were always competitors and not adversaries. But we need to see what happens,” Shelby told The Associated Press.

Kennedy told The Advocate in 2018: “I also intend to speak frankly about Russia’s attempts to interfere and interfere not only in the US elections, but also in France, the Brexit vote and the German elections.”

Since the Russian invasion, some Republicans have faced criticism for remarks that some see as pro-Putin. Trump recently faced backlash after calling the Russian president’s military actions “brilliant.” North Carolina Representative Madison Cawthorne attacked Zelensky last week, calling him a “thug” who led an “incredibly corrupt” Ukrainian government that promoted “awakened ideologies.”

The congressman’s controversial remarks drew condemnation from both Democrats and Republicans.

Senator Joni Ernst, an Iowa Republican, defended the Ukrainian president, calling Putin a “thug killer,” while Illinois State Representative Adam Kinzinger criticized pro-Putin Republicans who are “attached to authoritarianism.” House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy also called Putin “evil” during a press conference last Wednesday.

Newsweek contacted the offices of each MP mentioned in the video. This story will be updated with any response.

Video attacks GOP like "treason party"

The new video targets the Republican Party as a “party of treason”. At the top is the symbol of the elephant of the Republican Party. Brooks Kraft LLC/Corbis via Getty Images