Russia Today is a media organization, funded and controlled by the Russian government, which is highly critical of the United States. It is, in a literal sense, Russian propaganda. For some reason, Larry King has a show that’s broadcast on Russia Today’s American cable network. On Thursday, Donald Trump went on King’s show and asserted that:
- It’s impossible to say whether Russia was responsible for hacking the Democratic National Committee.
- The idea that Russia is trying to interfere in America’s presidential election is nothing more than Democratic Party hyperbole.
Trump is incorrect on both counts, but also, why is he appearing on a Russian propaganda TV show to defend Russia?
The Trump camp’s explanation, for real, is that Larry King tricked them:
For the record, Larry King’s show PoliticKING is not a podcast, though it does appear to be distributed à la carte online in a podcastlike fashion by a digital network that also puts out a show called William Shatner’s Brown Bag Wine Tasting. Either way, when you Google King’s show, its connection to Russia Today is the first thing that comes up.
