russia. russia has been very aggressive in trying to dominate beyond its own geographical borders. it has occurred in other countries and it's attacked the united states of america. so i want to take you back to 1975 when the helsinki final act was passed, through the leadership of the united states and the ussr. i have had the opportunity through several congresses to either be the chair or the cochair or the ranking member of the u.s. helsinki commission, so i've spent a lot of time working on the helsinki work. and what was remarkable about that document that was entered into in 1975, it recognized that security is beyond just military, that for a country to be secure, it must pay attention to its borders, yes, to its military, but also must have economic security and must respect human rights, which was also very unique in the helsinki final act was the commitment that these -- these standards that we agreed to would not only be of internal interest to the member country, but that any cou

>> to give show times we are learned concerned about russia today because russia today is about programs of russia today are being broadcasted in english. their major tv channels, the democratic country is putting barriers to free speech, to spree broadcasting, at the same time we are aware of the content of these programs and what is to give an alternative to different sources to reliable sources and give alternative of broadcasting in russia to be understandable but to be objective, reliable and different from those major tv channels broadcasted from russia. >> one last question, ambassador from georgia. i understand that opec helped make possible significant programs in georgia in modernizing industries and agriculture. can you comment on value of opec helping make that possible? >> there are several programs that have implemented in georgia which is really productive not only for developing georgia modernizing potential, but beneficial for both decides, i can provide in more detailed way, written way, more information. >> thank you. senator. >> thank you, mr. chairman. ambassador bak

state department does support dissidents in russia and critical media in russia. the u.s. state department calls out russian elections as hillary clinton did in 2011, calls out russian elections as neither free nor fair when there's evidence that russian elections are neither free nor fair. the one existential threat vladimir putin fears in his own country after 17 years in power, the one existential threat he fears is a revolution by his own people. an arab spring type uprising by russians against him and when there have been big protest movements in russia that have threatened to rise to that level putin has raged against the u.s. state department for supporting, no, for orchestrating those protesters. if russia did run a massive intelligence operation to affect the outcome of the u.s. presidential election, do we think they'd see that as it its own reward? that's enough? okay, now we're done? or once you've done that is it time the reap the benefits of that? donald trump never met rex tillerson, the ceo of exxon, before the presidential election. rex tillerson absolutel

i understand the point but it's not putin's russia. its russians russia. vladimir putin happens to have control of thegovernment today but rush is not a vladimir putin. russia is an ancient, proud culture and tradition embedded in its people. vladimir putin just happens to be a tyrant that today controls its government. but i thank you for inviting me to participate in this event. i also course and proud to be with vladimir kara-murza you all know well adequate of a chance and honor to introduce them shortly. when we talk about evil around the world who risk their lives in the event of freedom, vladimir is an example of how true this is. his brave fight for democracy and freedom in his country is truly an inspiration. we have an award in america called "profiles in courage" and it's hardly given to someone who took political risk. might've lost an election took on some nasty critters and in the press for doing something. and i understand, relatively speaking that is, courage in the american political system. real courage is knowing that your position on po

they were part of russia.nd then just a few days later putin invades crimea. ,so if the messaging was to be, we will confront the west, the folks that planted the olympics did not get that memo. something else had to happen. like i said, power is part of it, but not the whole part. second theory or second explanation, it is all america's fault. this one is also popular in moscow and berkeley. [laughter] mr. mcfaul: but this comes in two varieties. very contradictory varieties. let me walk you through them and tell you why i think they are not a sufficient explanation. were too is that, we demanding of russia and finally vladimir putin had to strike back. we lectured him about markets. we mentioned markets in the 1990's, lecturing them, democracy as you pointed out. then we expanded nato. then we bombed serbia and went into iraq. and he just had to say enough is , enough with this american imperialism. we had to push back on america and that explains why we are in this situation. so it is a reaction to what we

nato is focused on the russia threats. we kicked russia out of the g8.ew sanctions after the elections. in our country it depends on , which poll you look at but certainly the majority of americans think that russia is an enemy again. and if you are a republican, the data shows those republicans are less worried about the russians than they were two years ago. i think we know what the causality there is. generally we are back to this confrontation, right? all of this happened, most of this happened when i was in the u.s. government. putin did not invade ukraine when i was a u.s. ambassador. i kept him out. he invaded the day after i left. [laughter] causation correlation. remember? but this trajectory was part of when i was in the government. and i got home in february 2014. and if you have experienced this, you have experienced this david, you have been in this intense period living in russia as you did in the .in the 90's. 1990's you get back home and your neighbors didn't really notice you were gone. in fact, i was gone for five years. [laughter] mike

would it embolden russia? >> there should be clear way how to react on russian interference otherwise russians are always good in exploiting weaknesses. >> mr. ambassador to poland, do you agree with that? for. >> it is difficult for me to make comments on what americans should do or should not or what would happen if americans didn't do something. but i think that in our investigations in such cases are essentially all countries and it cannot be covered. just should be investigated, every case. >> to continue what my colleague from poland just said, as i mention in our remarks as we think that international response on invasion and occupation of georgia was insufficient, that ma might have led to the further migration of russian confederation of ukraine et cetera, i think that international response is generally necessary in violation of international laws. >> thank you. you will have a chance to tell subcommittee specifically what we could do to help you regarding russia on the soft power side. senator l sen

today because russia today, programs of russia today are are being broadcast in english. they have opportunities to broadcast in russia their major channels. the country is not putting any barriers to free speech or free broadcasting. at the same time we are aware of the content of these programs and what is essential is to give an alternative to different sources, to reliable sources, and give alternative of broadcasting in russian to understand and be objective, reliable and different from those major tv channels broadcasting from russia. >> one last question to the ambassador from georgia, i understand opec has helped make possible programs in georgia over the past 20 years in modernizing industries and in agriculture. can you comment on the value of opec helping make possible mutual beneficial programs in georgia. >> there are several programs that were implemented in georgia which is really productive, not only for developing and modernizing the economy potential, but also beneficial for both sides and therefore in that regard i can provide a more detailed way, more

maybe not attributed to russia. but we have a problem writ large right now with our information sources. >> senator rubio -- >> no. >> i think you hit the nail on the head. i don't really have a lot to add to it. we are faced with a strategic attack. it's not a kinetic attack usually. it's a political attack. and then the question comes, what sort of strategic response are we going to be able to develop to that? we could elaborate on that. >> senator warner. >> again, thank all the witnesses for their testimony. dr. rumer, i'm going to start with you. we have heard a lot recently about the role of the head of russia's largest aluminum company and the role he may have played in helping to support the goals of president putin. can you characterize the role in this area, and then more broadly, are there any of the oligarchs in russia, at least those not in exile, that aren't somehow caught up in the kremlin's foreign policy activities? or are there any truly independent? >> thank you, senator warner. i can't add anythi

sanctions against russia. russia hates those sanctions so you need your toughest and most experienced guy running those sanctions. or you did. he's gone now. like every other person who had as much seniority at the state department, all gone. he will be on set in his personal capacity as a former ambassador. we are very, very lucky to have him. the new administration may not want the benefit of his expertise in terms of figuring out what russia is up to with us right now but i do. we can all benefit from it as a country as we figure out what's going on with this presidency and with russia in particular. russia and putin's antipathy toward hillary clinton from her time as sake, russia's antipathy and loathing and fear of the u.s. state department in general, those things that we know about russia they put a worrying cast over how successfully the new administration here has hollowed out and emptied out the u.s. state department in just the few weeks since then been in charge. given how we know how russia feels

ebola, isis and russia.you can imagine that list did not go down well in moscow to the eye with those two other entities. first time i think there's a lot of -- i give the speech of the places i feel more confident. i'm in washington, at george washington university, so i see lots of people here who might know the full title to have u.s.-russian better than i do. i think going all the way back to when jon quincy adams was our first ambassador to moscow, we've never had the chief of staff of the kremlin on a sanctions list. never. all throughout the cold war that never happened. it's happening today. nader is not focused on the russia threatened gilbert we kicked rush out of the g8. you sanctions after the elections and in our country depends on which point you look at but the majority of americans think that rush is an enemy again. if you are a republican the data shows that those republicans are less worried about the russians than they were just two years ago. i think we know what the causality there is. g

today, because russia today is, programs of russia today are being broadcasted in english, while russiaas all the opportunities to broker in russian, major tv channels. rush is doing all. democratic country is not putting any barriers to free speech, to free broadcasting. well, at the same time we are aware about the content of these programs, and what is essential is to give an alternative, alternative to different sources, to reliable sources and give alternative broadcasting in russian to be understandable but to be objective, reliable and different from those major tv channels broadcast from russia. >> one last question, if i might, mr. chairman, to the ambassador from georgia. i understand that opec has helped make possible significant programs in georgia over the last 20 years in modernizing industries and in agriculture. can you comment at all on the value of opec in making possible mutually beneficial programs in georgia? >> there are several programs that, that are implemented in georgia, which is really productive, not only for developing georgia, modernizing its economy poten

trump scout deals in russia. en there's andre ardaminko a ukrainian lawmaker trying to rise in a political opposition movement shaped in part by mr. trump's former campaign manager, paul manafort. then of course there's our attorney general jeff sessions, who was forced to recuse himself from investigations related to the 2016 presidential campaign after it was revealed that he met with russian ambassador on two separate occasions during the campaign cycle, information which he failed to disclose during his confirmation hearing. this is the same ambassador with whom mike flynn discussed u.s. sanctions and by the way , he lied about it. it is now -- it has now been revealed that russian ambassador met with the following trump associates. carter page, jeff sessions, mike flynn, and jared kushner in december 2016 in trump tower during the transition. none of these meetings were made public and were only discovered after the press released reports. before the press reporting on the meetings above, the trump administr

i went russia to be strong. i want russia to be rich. i am not afraid of those things. i part ways with some of my former colleagues in the government saying those things. president obama said those two things -- i'm paraphrasing so go look it up. he gave a really great speech, and underappreciated speech. when i had to write. it was a very different kind of speech. it is not a speech about we want to get along with you, russia, and we love you. i really love russians. let's just hold hands and saying. it says, here is what we are trying to do in the world. five objectives. at the end of each one of them whyays, i don't understand this should not be a russian objective as well. that is the coda to each one. my complaint or argument with putin is that i think russia could be a great country. russia could be a democratic country with thriving capitalist markets moving in the west and russia could be a great power in the international system. i don't believe the strategy he is choosing is realizing that objective. and that is where i think he's insecure about the other thi

just a few weeks later, rebellion arrived in russia.ere since the fall of the soviet union. >> people were hanging off lampposts. people were in the streets. really shocking. >> putin was now living the same nightmare he had endured as a kgb officer in east germany in 1989. this time in his own backyard. and he wasn't even president at the time. he was prime minister. having handed the presidency over to his associate, dimitri medvedev. >> as the winter got longer and longer and colder and colder, the protests got bigger and bigger. >> as putin saw people turning against him, hillary clinton weighed in. >> the russian people, like people everywhere, deserve the right to have their voices heard and their votes counted. >> when putin hears something like that, i imagine he hears bush talking about saddam hussein. he hears that as, they're coming for me. they're trying to drive me from power. what the hell do you know about my people and whether they deserve to have their voices heard, like i'll tell you if they should have their voices he

just a few weeks later, rebellion arrived in russia.ets of moscow. the biggest protest there since the fall of the soviet union. >> people were hanging off lampposts. people were in the streets. really shocking. >> putin was now living the same nightmare he had endured as a kgb officer in east germany in 1989. this time in his own back yard. and he wasn't even president at the time. he was prime minister. having handed the presidency over to his associate, dimitri medvedev. >> as the winter got longer and longer and colder and colder, the protests got bigger and bigger. >> hillary clinton weighed in. >> the russian people like people everywhere deserve the right to have their voices heard and their votes counted. >> when putin hears something like that, i imagine he hears something like bush talking about saddam hussein. he hears that they're coming for me. they're trying to drive me from power. what the hell do you know about my people and whether they deserve to have their voices heard, like i'll tell you if they should have their voi

we buy engines from russia's gas from russia for our rockets -- from russia for our rockets. it gets tough for you guys to decide what and when do we investigate. i appreciate you taking the time and i yield back. chairman.ou mr. i am impressed. i was a pilot when they took off . one of the first thoughts ahead was how long will it be before i have to go to the bathroom? you guys been almost four hours. i have a list of questions but i want to diverge a little bit and follow up on some of the things that have been said. mr. calming, you confirmed there is an investigation into trump campaign officials. the fact that there is an open investigation does not indicate guilt. >> certainly not. >> an investigation may find there is no wrongdoing. >> that is one of the reasons we don't talk about it so that we do not smear people. >> i appreciate that. likely.especially having found no wrongdoing when there is a political motive. what we have seen today is that has been a certain political motive. .r. clapper, the former dni i would to read what he said a few weeks ago. mr. clapper

is good for russia. in their eyes. i think what we've seen change over the years is there's now the technological means to intrude and interfere in internal elections processes, in ways they couldn't before. because the development of the internet. so we now have an ability to do what maybe they didn't have the ability to do back in the cold war. you also have an area of opportunity now. they see possible daylight between us and some of our partners. so i think they're methodically looking at that daylight and trying to expand it so they can bring countries back into their sphere of influence and divide our allies. mr. whitehouse: thank you. your testimony focuses really effectively and kind of captures the kremlin handbook report. with respect to russia's efforts to infiltrate, corrupt, degrade and discredit democracies. with the last election, we know we've been added to that list. you described that there are two key channels for that operation. one is a political influence channel, which might include things like f

russia. always kept saying, why do you need me? morning joe's this talking about the ambassador who i used to work with, but i don't work with him anymore. so rather than talk about what's in the newspapers today, which i'm sure david and i will do during the questions and answers, and if you have russians about that, i have opinions about that very i thought i would come here with my more academic had. first and foremost i am a so rather thanprofessor, i had r titles in the past but i was professor before, i'm professor now, i will be a professor to the end of my days. i will be buried at stanford university. that is my home and that's what i'm going to do. i want to spend about 30 or 40 minutes asking some big questions before we hone into what is served for lunch. i want to start with reminding -- i want to start by see theg you of where i basic story of u.s.-russian relations today. i think it's one of the most confrontational moments we've periods during the cold war. people say, is it a

i promise you you won't say russia, if you know anything about russia. there isn't a nation on earth we wouldn't trade places with, and there is no process of government that i would trade for ours. it is not perfect, and one of the strengths of our system is our ability to stand up here in places like this in the senate and discuss our differences and our problems and make continuous progress forward, even if sometimes the pace is slower and more frustrating than we wish, and that is what's at stake here in this process. that is what's at stake here in this debate. that's what none of us can allow to see erode because of interference by foreign government, especially one whose leader is a thug and a war criminal in every sense of the word. and so, again, our quarrel, as my colleague said, is not with the russian people, it is not with russia. i have extraordinary admiration for the russian people. i have extraordinary admiration for the sacrifices and the contributions that they have made throughout history to our culture and to the world, but unfortuna

again, the headline is russia-trump, russia-trump, russia-trump. >> i want to hone in on the kushner thing because there's in discrepancy, as evan reported, as to what the russian bank says the meeting was about and what the trump administration is saying, or at least what spicer is saying this meeting was about. and by the way, today when the reporter asked that question, he got very defensive. like he went from zero to 100 very quickly, spicer did. >> i'll tell you, a white house official, when the first meeting was disclosed, i believe that was last month, the whus official told me that spicer did not know about the meetings at the time, and this speaks to a broader problem within the administration. and the explanation for why spicer didn't know was that jared kushner did not think that this was anything out of the ordinary. the official said to me that he was meeting with 100 people throughout the time of the transition. the russian ambassador was one of them. i think the banking official was another. and to him it didn't stick out in his mind. the problem is he is a senior advi

>> not even close to as bad as russia. i don't know enough about russia.russia did something terrible to the united states? >> do you think that rond reagan suffered from russia phobia? >> i don't know. that's a totally different time. you had communism. that was a totally different time in the world. i don't think comparing the russia of reagan to the russia of today -- >> does anybody here think that russia meddled in the election? >> i think we have to be very careful with russia. i feel there should be a mutual respect between the united states and russia. but i think that i am concerned, but i think that we should just listen to history in regards to russia as far as walk softly and carry a big stick. >> what does that look like? >> it is building up our own military, being in a negotiating place of strength and power. >> when everyone is looking for trouble in the middle east with weapons of mass destruction, looked what happened. when we start crossing other people's borders, meddling in their sovereign any expense, the instability is grave. >> the

russia without putin, russia will be free.t the large protest in moscow, russia's most visible opposition figure, he was arrested in moscow. that man is alexey in a very wellny, the man who's group put together the drones. he's tallahassee guy who was dyed green recently, campaigning in siberia when someone the law chemical all over him that literally dyed him bright green. this week he was arrested at these protests that he helped organize. it's interesting. a lot of people reported haegtd slap on the wrist. he got charged with a $350 fine and 15 days in prison. one of the things they do opposition figures in putin's russia and they bring all sorts of criminal charges against people in the opposition. he right now is serving a suspended sentence over an embezzlement charge related to timber futures. the trial is shotgun that is very wildly believed to be nonsense charges designed to harass him and give him a criminal conviction that would keep him from kwfrg to be on the ballot to run against putin next week year. he's on a s

putin might say he has made russia great again.gain. like putin, trump has used nationalism to boost his support. many believe that donald trump is no vladimir putin. >> putin is a much more practiced, subtle, cunning player. he's playing in poker terms a couple deuces at the highest level. >> reasserted russia on the world stage from a position of relative weakness like nobody i can think of. that's an amazing feat of geopolitics. energy is amazing. how we use it is only limited by our imagination. and at southern company we're building the future of energy, for you. afoot and light-hearted i take to the open road. healthy, free, the world before me, the long brown path before me leading wherever i choose. the east and the west are mine. the north and the south are mine. all seems beautiful to me. to take advantage of this offer on a volvo s90, visit your local dealer. kevin, meet yourkeviner. kevin kevin kevin kevin kevin kevin kevin kevin kevin trusted advice for life. kevin, how's your mom? life well planned. see what a raymond

, russia, russia, russia, every day.s not going to help. in we would always laugh-in congress, if you're having a town meeting and everybody's getting rowdy, bring up china, instantly everybody comes together. now russia is the new whipping post. >> near are several things which the democratic party could go in and talk about. they could talk about things that are factual, obamacare, jobs, unemployment, they could talk about energy. they're not doing that. so they're going to hang their hat on something that's highly speculative, and there's no proof, no facts coming out. >> and on rebuilding the party. i was just at the dnc meeting, and all they talked about is russians. >> the problem for democrats is that they, the artery is being squeezed from both sides, essentially. they don't really have a base that is in the mood for compromise with trump. so the only option is to go in and say here's an infrastructure bill, this is what we would like to do and try to essentially not necessarily call his bluff but get him to come

russia is a ruse. i have nothing to do with russia. to the best of my knowledge, no person i deal with does. >> we know three advisers had contact with him, then senator jeff sessions, j.d. gor dan and carter paige. since then, michael flynn and his son-in-law jared kushner met with him. flynn had trouble getting the story straight about the content. "the washington post" said flynn denied he discussed sanctions with the ambassador. asked in an interview, he said no. cut to a day later. thursday, flynn backed away from the denial. they said flynn indicated while he has no recollection, he couldn't be certain the topic never came up. here is sean spicer on january 23rd. >> a total of two calls with the ambassador and general flynn. the second call came, i think three days ago to say once he gets into office can we set up that call. it hasn't, to my knowledge, occurred yet. >> any conversations between general flynn and russian members of the government? >> not that i'm aware of. now we know, thanks to "the new york times" flynn met with

is, so to speak, the and e between russia europe. if the united states gives up russia, it wouldn't make america great. would contrary, it strengthen and embolden putin, ho is challenging american global leadership. has strong strategic interests in keeping ukraine as western world. host: okay. form eformer nato ecretary general anders rasmussen. and as we talk about the u.s. relations, we have a line of 202-748-8003. if you're outside the united we encourage you to join the conversation as well. want to ask about a tweet you sent yesterday. you said the world hasn't become a more peaceful place after u.s. hesitation to act over eight years. we need a policeman and only play that role. what did you mean by that, and what was the reaction? guest: there was a lot of that tweet, i can you. because it is important to state that the united states shouldn't policeman. s but you can see that the world is on fire. wherever you look, there are problems, middle east, iraq, erbia, africa, even europe is sinking from the burden from refugees. n

russia? >> multiple trademarks? >> yeah, registering trademarks in a foreign adversary's country. >> i don'ten what to make of that. >> were you aware donald trump had six trademarks in ruche? russia? >> i'm not going to comment on that. >> were you aware trump tried to market his trump vodka brand in russia? >> same answer. >> were you aware donald trump ran miss universe 2013 out of moscow? >> same answer. >> are you aware donald trump jr. said on a number of occasions that russian money is pouring into the trump organization and there's a disproportionate cross-section of the company's revenue coming from the same organization? >> same answer. >> hypothetically speaking would a foreign adversary and it's oligarchs having a disportionate coming from -- >> i'm trying to be helpful but i'm not going to answer a hypo. >> thank you. are you aware of a 2004 home purchase by president trump in palm beach county for about $40 million? >> not going to comment on that. >> are you afamiliar with a 20

government officials. >> but russia denies that. cnn's senior diplomatic correspondent michelle kosinski reports. >> reporter: russian ambassador to the u.s. sergey kislyak has spent a dozen of his 66 years living and working as a diplomat in the united states. he and his wife natalia often seen out and about seen at parties and events in washington, d.c. >> i personally have been working in the united states so long i know almost everybody. >> he's straight out of central casting. perfect english, heavy russian accent, immaculate suits. he's blunt and he stands out. >> reporter: trained as an engineer in russia and described as highly intelligent, kislyak joined the foreign ministry at the height of the cold war in 1977. he's been ambassador to the u.s. for more than eight years running. but some u.s. intelligence officials believe he's more than that. far more. they believe he has very close ties to russian intelligence. according to current and former senior u.s. government officials. here speaking at stanford, he described the u

in russia and france. >> and this fascist candidate in france, it is possible the reason russia likes her so much cause of her domestic politics and so right wing and forgivee ra racist. vladamir putin, i don't know how he thinks. he might see that as a feature not a bug. in st. petersburg, russia will be hosting something called the rush shall international conservative forum and want to promote the establishment of a common constant acting russian european conservative elite group uniting the political and economic call elites in europe. one of these russian conservative forums russia has hosted in 2015 sponsored by a branch of his political party and in st. petersburg. that one attracted american far right racist fringe right characters like jared taylor a prolific su do economic white supremacist. you might remember him from the alt-right gathering in washington, d.c. where everybody did the nazi salute and shouted heil trump. you know, they said it was hail trump. but with the stuff arm it was hard to read their lips and get that sitle subtleties. regardless whether they like the

ambassador to russia, mike mcfaul.lso joining us evelyn ficus, serving as deputy assistant secretary of defense for russia, ukraine and eurasia. she also happens to be an msnbc national security analyst. evelyn, welcome first of all. >> hello. >> second, we have these two concurring and breaking stories. "the washington post" account of these alleged conversations, now attorney general sessions have with the ambassador. the first is largely been the waning days of the obama administration and an effort to squirrel away -- forgive the complex technical term -- intel they knew about and they feared would either be ignored or fall into the wrong hands. you speak to that latter issue. >> yeah. there was a lot going on in the administration. first of all, they had watched hillary clinton lose. and they being the high officials, mainly in the white house, they were told you can't do anything political. but while they watched something, we don't know all the details of what they were watching. and they couldn't talk about it.

ambassador to russia, mike mcfaul.joining us evelyn ficus, serving as deputy assistant secretary of defense for russia, ukraine and eurasia. she also happens to be an msnbc national security analyst. evelyn, welcome first of all. >> hello. >> second, we have these two concurring and breaking stories. "the washington post" account of these alleged conversations, now attorney general sessions have with the ambassador. the first is largely been the waning days of the obama administration and an effort to squirrel away -- forgive the complex technical term -- intel they knew about and they feared would either be ignored or fall into the wrong hands. you speak to that latter issue. >> yeah. there was a lot going on in the administration. first of all, they had watched hillary clinton lose. and they being the high officials, mainly in the white house, they were told you can't do anything potical. but while they watched something, we don't know all the details of what they were watching. and they couldn't talk about it. hilla

russia was a poor, weak country, and yet, russia of the '20s and '30s set up whole organizations, overt and covert, throughout the world that were able to challenge all the major powers of europe and the united states. we may not have realized that these organizations were being set up, but they were considerable, and it took a lot of effort and skill on their part to do this. in the war of -- second world war, they used this apparatus to be able to influence the politics of europe after the war. yes, they also used it during the war to help them, and sometimes us, in fighting the nazis and the italian fascists, but in their sort of major -- in a major way, they were also preparing for being able to influence the outcome of the struggle for the balance of power in europe during world war ii. so, while they were an ally, they were also planning to undermine democratic and liberal parties, including in the united states at that time. in fact, they were able to take advantage of the fact that they were friendly and that we were working together. uncle joe was a friend of the united states

it supports dissidence in russia and critical media in russia. the u.s. state department calls out russian elections as hillary clinton did in 2011 as neither free nor fair when there's evidence that it's neither free nor fair. vladimir putin fears in his own country after 17 years in power it walked down one excess tential fear he has is a revolution of his own people, an arab spring uprising of russians against him. there have been big protest movements in russia that have rised to that level, he raged against the state department for orchestrating those protesters. if russia did run a massive intelligence operation to effect the outcome of the u.s. presidential election, do we think they'd see that as its own reward? now we're done? then is it time to reap the benefits of that? donald trump never met rex tillerson, the ceo of exxon before the presidential election. he received the order of friendship from vladimir putin personally, the highest civilian award russia gives to nonrussian citizens. somehow he ended up the u.s. secretary of state under dona

what did you do in russia? >> had some meets with scholars and professors and some students there and, you know, there were some people that showed up to my graduation speech and i said hello to some people. but no material discussions. you know, they're really international relations scholars. >> did you speak to any russian intelligence officials? >> not that i'm aware of. >> that's the paul manafort answer, right? they don't wear badges? >> it's interesting, i think this is often not really understood in the west. there's a lot of veterans, just like there's veterans from the u.s. military such as myself, people that grew up there through that system. it's possible that someone with some connection at some point in their life, again immaterial information. >> did any conversation you had while you were in russia pertain to u.s. policy to russia vis-a-vis particularly the sanctions or to the trump campaign? >> nothing about sanctions. >> about the trump campaign? >> there may have been some scholars that we w

when it comes to russia, there's no there there. >> i have nothing to do with russia. to the best of my knowledge, no person that i teal with does. >> did anybody in the trump campaign have any cabbing with the russian meddle in the election. >> of course not. >> can you say mr. president or initial in the campaign had no conversations with anybody during the campaign? >> no. i'm telling you -- it's all phony beloany garbage. >> on that note, let's bring in the panel. u.s. political reporter, nbc reporter, and politico, good evening. to you all. let's see. david, there's no polite way to say this, you and i are the oldest here. >> thanks, brian. >> can you ever recall a news tome p tempo of news like this, the first week of an administration like this what do you say when people ask you where this takes us? >> i say we're all exhausted. i can recall news tempo at the beginning of the 9/11 iraq war, so forth, but those were events that were brought on to the united states what's different here is that these are by and large self-inflicted wounds because you have a wlohi

the hearing focused less on the trump campaign's alleged dealings with russia and more on how russia used what one lawmaker described as propaganda on steroids to influence the election and to undermine the u.s.s. media. during the hearing democrat , senator mark warner said -- "we are seeking to determine if there is an actual fire, but so far there is a great, great deal of smoke." to talk more about these developments and what it means for u.s.-russian relations, we are joined now by robert david english, a professor of international relations at university of southern california. he recently wrote a piece for foreign affairs called, "russia, trump, and a new detente." professor english is the author of "russia and the idea of the west." professor english, talk about what is happening right now in washington, d.c. >> i cannot speak in great .etail about the allegations trump administration officials had improper ties or colluded with the russisian government or rurussian intelelligence in medg in the election. i await these investigations in washington turning serious. so far as o