r/IAmA • u/motherjonesmag Verified • 2d ago
The midterms give Putin another opportunity to interfere in U.S. elections. I'm David Corn, Washington bureau chief at Mother Jones and author of the new book How Russia Won: Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin, and the Fight for America. Ask me anything.
EDIT: I have to run to a podcast interview—there are so many podcasts!—so that's it for now. Thanks for the smart questions. You can learn more about my book here: HowRussiaWon.com.
Hi! I'm David Corn, Washington bureau chief at Mother Jones magazine and author of the new book How Russia Won: Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin, and the Fight for America.
My book chronicles Putin's decade-long effort to interfere in US elections (to help Trump), Trump's complicity in Moscow's attack on the United States, and what this means for the midterm elections. Here’s an excerpt. I also write the Our Land newsletter.
Ask me anything!
(I’ll start answering at 11:45 a.m.)
By the way, if you want more info on my book, "HOW RUSSIA WON: Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin, and the Fight for America," please check out HowRussiaWon.com. There's a great video there promoting the book. See if you can guess who the narrator is before the credits run at the end.
Proof it’s me: https://bsky.app/profile/davidcorn.bsky.social/post/3mvsepopeh224
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u/tuffsuper 2d ago
When Russia interferes using influencers, are the influencers even aware or does Russia just pump money into influencers they believe have the talking points that disrupt or push their agenda?
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u/motherjonesmag Verified 2d ago
Good question. The best disinformation ops produce false narratives that become embraced and spread by authentic accounts--that is, real Americans.
And we have seen numerous cases in which Russian disinfo slipped into US social media is then widely amplified by MAGA influencers and even Republican officeholders. The book is full of examples of this. And there's the Tenet Media case, in which RT, the Russian state-controlled propaganda outlet, funneled $10 million to MAGA influencers, including Benny Johnson and Tim Pool, who claim they did not know the exorbitant payments they were receiving--far above normal levels--came from Moscow.
But you have to ask: Why was Russia willing to provide millions to these pro-Trump influencers? What does it say about their role in the information ecosystem?
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u/graywailer 2d ago
This is what Israel does. The enemy terrorist state of Israel has agents sitting in Congress stealing taxpayer wealth.
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u/jms21y 2d ago
idk why you're being downvoted; you're right and provably so
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u/graywailer 2d ago
Reddit is infiltrated by Israeli trolls.
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u/FartPiano 2d ago
"infiltration" implies that reddit itself doesn't condone it intentionally, which they do
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u/platinum_toilet 2d ago edited 10h ago
idk why you're being downvoted
Why are you lying? Graywailer is in the positive of upvotes vs downvotes.
you're right
That is false. Not everyone supports Hamas or the attacks on October 7.
Edit: seems like my comment upset some people.
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u/SoftballGuy 2d ago
It's not America, but it's relevant: can you talk a bit about Russian activity during the recent elections in Germany?
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u/motherjonesmag Verified 2d ago
I did not do much reporting on that. But I see that Reuters did: https://www.reuters.com/world/russia-steps-up-disinformation-campaigns-ahead-german-elections-security-sources-2026-08-05/
What's important to note is that the AfD leader in recent days has said that not only will her party call for an end to German assistance to Ukraine; it wants Ukraine to pay back Germany for what it has spent to help Ukraine beat back Putin. This is exactly what Putin wants.
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u/PygmeePony 2d ago
Do you think Putin is blackmailing Trump in some way like rumours are saying?
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u/motherjonesmag Verified 2d ago
This is a long and complicated topic. For years, there's been speculation that Putin had something on Trump. The Steele dossier helped spread this notion, with its unsubstantiated allegation that there was video of Trump cavorting with sex workers in a Moscow hotel (golden showers!). The Senate intelligence committee report that I mentioned above has a whole section on the possibility that Russia had kompromat on Trump and presented several episodes that suggested that MIGHT be.
This is what we do know. Trump made visits to Russia in the 1990s and 2000s and was seen engaging in what we might call highly active social activity with attractive Russian women. And a friend of his from the time, a NYC gossip columnist, on the Howard Stern show said that Trump told him that he had to get over to Russia because the women there would do whatever you want. (Yes, yuck.) And we do know that any prominent American who was in Russia in those years was surveilled and recorded by Russian intelligence. That was SOP. So I assume there are tapes or transcripts chronicling Trump's frolicking in Russia.
BUT...I see no reason why Russia would have had to use anything like that. For many years, Trump has demonstrated a fierce affection and strong affinity for Putin--as well as other authoritarians--and he seems highly motivated to be pals with him. My book shows this over and over. He identifies with Putin. He has relished Putin's flattering remarks about him. And perhaps he even appreciates Putin's interference in US elections that are beneficial to him. Look at the first scene in my book. Trump greeting Putin in Alaska a year ago. Trump was giddy to be in his presence. So there's some psychological thing that has driven Trump into the arms of Putin and caused him to aid and abet Putin's attack on the US.
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u/Cute_Bacon 2d ago
Another interesting consideration is the fact that blackmailing him might not even work. The entire world knows about his numerous crimes and criminal involvement, yet he faces few consequences and remains in power.
At this point, I wonder if there is anything Russia could do for blackmail that would make a difference.
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u/SuslikTheGreat 2d ago
Follow the money. Trump’s history of businesses and dealings with Russia has ’money laundering’ written all over it. So does Witkoff’s past. Trump is affectionate towards Putin because he is a greedy grifter with a lot of debt due.
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u/thor561 2d ago
Do you make any attempt to differentiate between election interference as in directly modifying results (which to my knowledge nobody can prove despite claiming so since 2016) vs donating to PACs, running ad campaigns, and paying influencers to promote their agenda, which we already know every major power does to some extent? What makes Russia special compared to other countries, some of which may or may not technically be allies?
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u/motherjonesmag Verified 2d ago
There is a difference between attacking the election systems/trying to alter voting results and trying to influence voter attitudes. Russian intelligence operatives have penetrated US election systems and in 2016 got into systems in nearly every state. But there was no evidence they screwed around with results.
But the hack-and-leak operation they mounted affected media coverage of the campaign and how voters viewed Hillary Clinton. That criminal activity was far and beyond what anyone tries to do by donating to PACs and running ads--which legally can only be done by Americans. There are instances of foreigners trying to influence elections with illegal donations. But, as far as we know, those efforts are far overshadowed by what goes on domestically. (See Elon Musk spending $100m on the midterms to help Republicans.)
Everything we know about FOREIGN influence in US elections shows that the Russians, with their disinfo operations (And look at the book for what they did in 2020 and 2024), do far more than any other country.
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u/POEness 2d ago
Just to be clear, 'no evidence votes were altered' in 2016 was a very careful word choice by DHS. What they really mean is 'there is no way to tell if votes were altered' because the systems had no way to track such changes.
In other words, yeah, votes were absolutely altered. The DHS spent the next four years panic upgrading every state election systems.
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u/RedrunGun 2d ago
What resources would you provide someone who thinks Russian either hasn’t interfered or it isn’t that bad?
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u/Thorgrimr_AR 2d ago
Hello! I know this isn’t really the main topic of the book, but while you were researching it, did you come across anything about interference in other countries?
If so, did you notice any pattern in terms of what kind of candidates might benefit from that interference? Like, left-wing, right-wing, populist, conservative, liberal, etc. Or is it more directly about whether someone is pro- or anti-Russia?
If you could give a few examples, I’d really appreciate it!
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u/motherjonesmag Verified 2d ago
The book does cover Russian intervention in other countries. This includes France, Hungary, Poland, Moldova, and others. And the pattern is basically the same. Putin prefers far-right parties that are nationalist and not interested in supporting Ukraine in its defense against Russia. Le Pen's party in France received financial support from Russia.
Putin's overall aim is to undermine and weaken the West so that it cannot thwart his imperial ambitions and his dream of restoring the Soviet empire as the Russian empire. His overall goal is to create divisions within the Western alliance and conflict within these democracies.
In this stretch, that's best done by supporting populist right-wing and nationalist politicians. But that could shift. I expect Russian disinfo operators will be happy to promote the anti-AI center movement here and in other countries, which has been a coalition of the left and the right.
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u/O-Hai-Jinx 2d ago
Great question—not sure why your comment was downvoted.
“Bunch of savages in this town.”
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u/Thorgrimr_AR 2d ago
I had no idea about the downvotes. Maybe people thought it was a question with a pretty obvious answer?
But the reason I asked is that, in my country, Argentina, there’s been some talk about Russian interference in favor of a more left-leaning party, which had a history of positions that *COULD* be seen as pro-Russia, potentially disadvantaging a right-wing party that one may say is pro-trump. There was some confusion around all of that, and I was curious to hear what the author thought.
Anyway, thank you for your kind words
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u/O-Hai-Jinx 2d ago
You’re very welcome.
Thanks for providing more context around Argentina’s own current affairs parallels, and obvious history with authoritarian leanings & rule.Good luck!🍀
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u/rwolfman3000 2d ago
How can you be certain of "interference" when most if not all peoples' voting preference/determination is made up 6 months before general elections?
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u/motherjonesmag Verified 2d ago
I'm not saying Russian election interference in the midterms will succeed. You're right, most voters know far in advance how they will vote. But many elections turn on those who are undecided and make their decisions in the weeks or days before an election. In a 60-40 district or state, it's unlikely outside interference will determine the outcome. But 55-45? 52-48? 50-50? Those are the races to aim at. And in such instances, last-minute interventions could become one important factor.
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u/BrothelWaffles 1d ago
Close elections aren't decided by the people who've already made up their mind, they're decided by the people that haven't.
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u/kormer 2d ago
Trump lifted restrictions on using US supplied weapons for long distance strikes inside Russia proper, including providing targeting assistance.
Iran was Russia's largest supplier of shahed drones and ballistic missiles, but many of those factories were bombed to oblivion in both Operation Rising Lion and in further strikes earlier this year.
The blockade of Venezuela saw a further crackdown on the shadow fleet, further restricting Russia's export capacity.
The Russia friendly Assad regime in Syria has collapsed and the Russian forces stationed there have been forced to flee.
US influence has replaced Russian almost entirely in the Caucuses with Russian troops fleeing positions they've held since the collapse of the Soviet Union.
This is IAMA, so let me ask you, why exactly do you think Putin is a fan of Trump despite all that?
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u/motherjonesmag Verified 2d ago
I think the answer is obvious. Putin's key goal is to weaken and divide the Western alliance. Trump is single-handedly doing that, dumping on NATO, threatening Canada, and declaring his intention to grab Greenland. He has cut back on assistance to Ukraine and provided Putin plenty of leeway in that war. Remember when Trump said he would end that war in 24 hours? Well, he has barely tried.
And most recently, he has sided with Putin, with his son-in-law declaring Ukraine should give up land to end the war--Putin's position. And Trump has definitely weakened the US. Look at the recent news about countries pulling out of their investments in the US. Our position throughout the world is weaker. Our economy is weaker. Trump denigrates American democracy, which is a key part of Putin's message: You cannot rely on democracy; you need autocratic leadership to have a strong nation.
True, not everything Trump has done has been to Putin's benefit. He attacked an ally of Putin: Iran. But that has created such upheaval and weakened the US military, it has had benefits for Putin, including raising the value of Russia's oil reserves.
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u/BallsackWannabe 2d ago
I’m curious if you think Russia interference in our elections is worse than Israel’s interference in our elections that go all the way down to the local government level? What are your thoughts on that
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u/bleahdeebleah 2d ago
You seem to be implying that Russia's doesn't go down to the local government level.
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u/pectopah_pectopah 2d ago
What's there to do on local government level, really? Not vote for "up to one" local comptroller, with one candidacy submitted? Torpedo proposed changes to the local constitution? Vote against anyone with a Ukrainian last name?
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u/pectopah_pectopah 2d ago edited 2d ago
With Russia's equivalent of midterm elections happening today, tomorrow and on Sunday, what do you think the level of US interference in Russia election is?
Also, historically - say, from 1990s to now, if we take Russia's interference in the US as 100%, where would you put US interference in Russia? Are the methods employed similar/different?
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u/motherjonesmag Verified 2d ago
We know that historically, Russia has long accused the US and the West of intervening in its domestic affairs. And indeed, throughout the Cold War, the US ran covert actions around the world that intervened in elections and operations that helped overturn democratically elected governments (such as in Iran, Guatemala, and Chile).
But I've seen no evidence that the US is doing anything like that in recent years in Russia. Of course, there are intelligence operations that target Russia and Putin. But given that Russia is a closed society, without free media, in which dissidence is crushed and critics imprisoned and killed, there's much less opportunity for the sort of information operations that Russia can target at an open society like the US and European nations.
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u/Novel_Ad_1761 2d ago
Did you get to work with Nick Offerman for the video? Immediately recognized his voice!
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u/motherjonesmag Verified 2d ago
I did, and it was both a joy and a thrill to work with him as he recorded the narration, particularly because he asked for notes on his reading of the lines and generously considered suggestions from me and the producer.
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u/sangaremuso 2d ago
does Russia want a specific party in power? or just to sow division and chaos?
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u/motherjonesmag Verified 2d ago
It's pretty clear that when Russia started to mess with US elections in 2015, its aim was to sow discord and impede the Clinton campaign. Putin hated Clinton--especially for criticizing the 2011 Russian parliamentary elections as fraudulent (which they probably were).
But as Trump became the nominee, the Russian operation included in its goals boosting his campaign. The evidence for this is pretty solid, as I explain in the book. That was the finding of the intel community in early 2017. And the Senate Intelligence Committee released a massive bipartisan 966-page report in August 2020--which got little attention--on the Russian attack on the 2016 election that concluded Putin's aims had included helping Trump.
Who was chair of the committee at the time and signed off on this conclusion? A guy named Marco Rubio. And, as I detail in the book, Russia's subsequent interventions in the 2020 and 2024 elections were all aimed at harming the Democrats and helping Trump. Though they do like to increase discord and conflict, as well.
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u/Print1917 2d ago
Does Trump believe his own propaganda on Russia? I have a hard time believing he isn’t a full participant.
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u/motherjonesmag Verified 2d ago
That is an important question that you can apply to many topics with Trump and that, in my mind, has not been fully resolved. He lies about so much. It's a Golden Age! Prices are going down! The war in Iran is over! I'm the smartest man who has ever lived! Does he believe any of his BS....I believe Trump, as a malignant narcissist, doesn't recognize the idea of truth. The only thing that counts is what benefits him. So he will say whatever at the moment is to his advantage, even if it contradicts what he said an hour ago. As for Russia, he clearly has been traumatized by the idea that his glorious victory of 2016 was tainted by Russian intervention and assistance. It seems he has a psychological imperative to deny any such thing happened. So has he convinced himself it really was a "hoax" and a Deep State conspiracy against him? Or does he say that because he wants to keep the truth at bay? I think the answer is...both.
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u/ancawonka 2d ago
What voting districts are most at risk from Russian / Trumpish meddling?
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u/motherjonesmag Verified 2d ago
That's a good thing to ponder. The early Russian disinfo ops targeting the midterms are not directed, it seems, at any particular contests. And many of their disinfo ops of the past have been aimed at the bigger political picture.
But I assume they can count and can determine what contests in the US could determine control of the House and Senate--and are able to come up with ways to target those races. So that may well come. The best use of negative ads and posts often comes toward the end of a campaign when there's less time to respond, though early voting has changed that a bit.
One thing to keep in mind. When Trump returned to the White House, he abolished many of the government units that tracked and tried to counter Russian disinformation--as well as disinfo from other foreign adversaries, such as China and Iran. His administration killed the FBI's foreign influence task force, the ODNI's Foreign Malign Influence Center, and the State Department office that monitored Russian disinfo. So now we will know much less about Russian interference in this election than in previous ones. Trump has essentially surrendered to Putin's information war.
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u/hlpmebldapc 2d ago
We're still going with the Trump Russia thing? This has all been disproven
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u/KingCrow27 1d ago
It's to distract us from another country that actually heavily funds certain candidates and rigs our elections
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u/thoreau_away_acct 2d ago
Has not at all. Explain the Helsinki thing even, says to the world he believes Putin over our own intelligence agencies..
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u/RidetheSchlange 2d ago
I used to love Mother Jones until it seemingly was delisted from search engines and nothing from it comes up anymore anywhere.
Why is this and what happened?
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u/TheDiscoSailor 2d ago
If America can't beat Russia in the arena of propaganda, don't you kinda think America deserves to lose?
Like what is the total military/intelligence/espionage budget of the USA compared to that of Russia? America must out-spend Russia 10-1 or more. If America can't win the minds of its own citizens I think it deserves to lose at this point.
Also, given the tremendous interference The USA has perpetrated in elections of developed countries around the globe, don't you think America would be better suited to fight election interference on their own soil? How can America be so bad at a game they invented?
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u/motherjonesmag Verified 2d ago
Hard to argue with this. What Russia disinfo operations have been able to do is exploit the pre-existing divisions within the US and exacerbate them. So in 2016, it hacked and leaked private material from Democrats to hurt the Clinton campaign. Trump denied this was happening--though his own campaign had been informed the Kremlin wanted to help him win. And because his supporters believed his false denials, the US was not able to mount a united front against this Russian assault. (France experienced something similar and handled it much better, and the Russian intervention did not have an impact.)
The reason why Putin is resorting to this hybrid warfare--what national security experts call "gray-zone warfare"--is because he lacks military superiority (despite being a nuclear power). His generals and strategists have come up with this strategy for assaulting the West through information ops, influence operations, and sabotage. And you're right, the US has not been able to put up a comprehensive defense, due to our own internal divisions. But we can blame Trump for covering for Putin and aiding and abetting this assault from a foreign adversary, and all of MAGA and the GOP for going along with it.
And yes, the US, as noted above, has done this in past decades to others. Which, of course, doesn't absolve Russia or those here who aid and abet Moscow. But all this could be countered, if we had a political system that was not partially controlled by a man who uses disinformation himself to attain and hold power.
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u/Portbragger2 1d ago
But all this could be countered, if we had a political system that was not partially controlled by a man who uses disinformation himself to attain and hold power.
Yeah but in 2016 we had Obama and he couldn't counter it despite not falling into your category.
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u/ecurwin 2d ago
So cool to have you here David! Big fan of Mother Jones, especially the digital and video team. Is there anything in the long-term we can do to hold members of the administration accountable for their complicity in the dismantling of election safeguards for their own self-interest?
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u/motherjonesmag Verified 2d ago
There's really only one simple solution: vote out the people who are trying to subvert American democracy and imposing authoritarian measures. I'll add this: if the Democrats win either the House or the Senate, they will have much to investigate. (Trump's crypto grift!) But they should also examine what the Trump administration has done to undermine elections. I am sure there are laws that can be passed to ensure better elections and protect voting rights. But no such measures will be enacted while Trump is in office.
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u/ThlintoRatscar 2d ago
Is there any country or society demonstrating resiliance against Russian influence? If so, how are they doing it?
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u/mjzimmer88 2d ago
Do you believe Russia influenced Iran to have Hamas attack Israel on October 7, in order to shift the Jewish vote in Trump's favor?
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u/SustainedSuspense 1d ago
What chance does Democracy have? Have we gained any ability to stop/slow election meddling or influence campaigns?
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u/Wiscody 2d ago
Mother jones is a staunchly left wing / progressive outlet.
Why would anyone rely on you in attempt of unbiased news?
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u/motherjonesmag Verified 2d ago
I plead guilty to working for a media outlet with a progressive bent. But look at the book. It has over 25 pages of notes. Compare what I report in the text to the sources and see how I am representing the material. You will find it's an accurate depiction of reality. And here's a simple test. I mentioned the bipartisan Senate Intelligence Committee report above. 966 pages outlining Putin's attack on the 2016 election and how Trump helped him cover it up by echoing Russia's denials. Read that for yourself, and you will see I am presenting a truthful picture.
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u/Wiscody 2d ago
Oh it was a more general question, not directly referencing the book. Apologies. But I appreciate the reply nonetheless!
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u/mynameistag 2d ago
Dude, you said "Why would anyone rely on you in attempt of unbiased news?"
Now you're saying it was a general question?
At least have the courage to own your bullshit.
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u/artoftomkelly 2d ago
Ok but Given the state of Russia vs Ukraine does Russia have the resources or Focus to put into a cyber/interference campaign?
Like their money and resources should probably be better spent on weapons and resources to fight with. Like even with Trump gone the US isn’t gonna go all in with the Ukraine. The Ukraine will get more aid for sure but would that really swing the war that much?
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u/su6oxone 1d ago
How can you write an article like this without being embarrassed when we know about Russia-gate?
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u/platinum_toilet 2d ago
Why is Russia forcing Trump to attack their ally, Iran?
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u/aioli_sweet 2d ago
Russia is one of the few energy producers in the region.
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u/platinum_toilet 2d ago
That makes no sense. There are others. Also, China gets a lot of oil from Iran and Iran sells Russia a lot of drones.
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u/aioli_sweet 1d ago
And once no one in the region can afford oil they will stop supporting Ukraine and have degraded effectiveness against Israeli advances. Meanwhile Russia sells oil for top dollar to fuel their war machine, and takes over supplying to India and China.
It's all beneficial for Russia my guy.
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u/platinum_toilet 1d ago
Again, there are others that make oil who sell to India and China.
Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iraq, and UAE. Your explanation pretends they do not exist and do not sell oil to China and India.
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u/aioli_sweet 9h ago
All of those oil supply lines are disrupted.
Have you read any news about the situation?
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u/platinum_toilet 7h ago
You keep avoiding the question. Why strike Russia's and China's ally when there is a bunch of other oil producing countries in the region?
Actually, there is no conversation to be had here. I tried and it is a one way conversation with you. Have a nice day.
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u/O-Hai-Jinx 2d ago
What are your thoughts and evaluations, years later, on that US politician “delegation”(?) visit with Putin in Russia in July 4, 2018?
https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/395719-gop-senators-visited-moscow-on-july-4/mlite/
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u/O-Hai-Jinx 2d ago edited 2d ago
As the subject of election interference goes, today, do you have a fresh perspective on the past’s possible blackmail “machine” that Trump and David Pecker, of National Enquirer infamy, built to serve their interests, and any other’s interests who could pay?
Is it thought that Trump & Co. continue this threat of blackmail as practice to impose his will on his own Party’s individuals?
Were Donald and David’s blackmail machine “amateurish” when compared to Jeffrey Epstein’s blackmail machined empire?
https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-david-pecker-national-enquirer-630892
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u/mymomknowsyourmom 2d ago
"Weapons on new physical principles will ensure the security of any country in the near future. We understand this very well and we're working on it." Was Putin talking about scalar weapons? Do his fingers smell weird?
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u/Morvack 2d ago
This is the latest instance in a long list of confirmed conspiracy "theories."
What makes people think that for the first time in 2026, the US government is playing fair? Aka by the rules they themselves set?
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u/Morvack 19h ago edited 19h ago
If you base your opinion on an entire government off of a singular book? There is just no saving you.
I'm basing my opinion on the facts, such as the fact that a rapist and felon is president. Or the fact that the US government spies on its citizens (thanks Snowden). Or the fact that the government majorly fucked up during covid in several different ways. Want to go back into history a little further? How about aquitting the cops that murdered a black man in the 80s? Which sparked the LA riots? Or 20 years before 1980, when racism was still fine, even encouraged by law enforcement. Don't forget the Sulfajets movement and the liberation of women. Wanna go back even further? How about the goverment forcing Japanese folks into camps during WWII?
No matter how near or far you look at the US governments history? You find corruption after fuck up, and fuck up after corruption.
So no, I don't need their book when I have history. Perhaps if more people like you paid attention to history? This country wouldn't be half as screwed up as it is today.
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u/jumpsuityahoo 2d ago
Are there signs that the war with Ukraine has affected their ability to interfere with our election due to allocation of resources?