Does the NRA Connect Trump to Russia?
Alex Wagner talks with reporters Natasha Bertrand and Mike Spies about Maria Butina, the NRA, and whether Russia used the gun lobby to influence American politics.
December 14, 2018
37 min
73
Full
74 of 364
Episode 73 · December 14, 2018
Does the NRA Connect Trump to Russia?
0:00 / 37:28
Excerpt playback isn’t available for this episode — use the full-episode link.
Search the Record
Moment search isn’t open for this episode yet
When it opens, you’ll be able to type any phrase and jump straight to the second it was said.
The Atlantic Episodes Around December 14, 2018
Episode 74 of 364 — walk the feed in the order it was published.
37:28This episodeDoes the NRA Connect Trump to Russia?
Summary
On Thursday, Maria Butina became the first Russian national convicted of seeking to influence the 2016 election. As part of Russia’s years-long effort to cozy up to the American right, Butina gained access to conservative circles through the National Rifle Association. And as the NRA is under scrutiny for ties to Russian operatives, it appears the organization illegally coordinated with the Trump campaign.
Alex Wagner catches up on the week’s developments with Atlantic staff writer Natasha Bertrand. Then, to make sense of how the NRA, Russia, and the Trump campaign connect to one another, she’s joined by Mike Spies, a staff writer for The Trace who covers the gun lobby.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Episode details and artwork are published by the show’s own feed. Sentinel plays short cited excerpts and links every episode back to its publisher.