From Reagan to Russia: The GOP’s Great Reversal | Strategy Session with Stuart Stevens & David Corn

What if Putin never needed to blackmail Trump—because Trump wanted the relationship? Investigative journalist David Corn joins Stuart Stevens on Strategy Session to discuss How Russia Won and his argument that Trump’s enthusiasm for Putin explains more than theories of coercion. “He’s glad to do Putin’s bidding,” Corn argues. Corn and Stevens examine how Trump turned Russian interference into a “hoax” narrative, why Corn emphasizes complicity over collusion, and how the party of Ronald Reagan reversed its posture toward Moscow. Plus: the Trump Tower meeting, Russian disinformation, Tucker Carlson, and the Republican Party’s embrace of authoritarian politics. Subscribe to Lincoln Square for more Strategy Session conversations and independent analysis of democracy, elections, and political power. Support independent pro-democracy media: https://bit.ly/3YEQB4N 00:00 Stuart Stevens Welcomes David Corn 00:22 Inside Romney’s 47% Fundraiser 02:37 Losing an Election Without Fearing for the Country 03:35 How Russia Won 05:18 How Trump Won the Russia Messaging War 07:57 Russian Influence Beyond 2016 10:42 Giuliani, Fake News Sites, and Disinformation 12:05 Russia, Trump, and the Republican Party 14:15 The Trump Tower Meeting and Complicity 20:04 Were the GOP’s Principles Just Marketing? 21:13 Why the Right Embraced Putin 28:31 Trump’s Red Carpet for Putin 32:12 Did Putin Ever Need Blackmail? 36:42 Republican Responsibility and Kash Patel 38:09 Accountability Versus Moving On 38:45 Where to Find David Corn’s Work 39:29 Corn Says Russia Is Using Him in Disinformation #DavidCorn #StuartStevens #TrumpRussia #StrategySession #LincolnSquare