Disinformation and the Trump/Russia probe

Guests: Masha Gessen, Clint Watts

The investigations into the Trump campaign and their alleged ties to Russia has been the lead story for months.  While the FBI has stated unequivocally that the Russian government intended to influence the outcome in favor of Trump, no evidence of collusion between the Trump team and the Kremlin has surfaced. Today on the show, we’ll talk about the role of disinformation in politics.  We’ll begin with MASHA GESSEN, a Russian-born journalist and anti-Putin activist, who warns the Trump opposition to stick to facts and avoid hyperbole, or even conspiracy, when it comes to discussing the Trump/Russia ties.  Then, CLINT WATTS joins Marty to discuss the influence of bots, trolls, and fake news in politics. Watts is Senior Fellow at the Center for Cyber and Homeland Security and a former FBI special agent.  He testified to the Senate Intelligence Committee about Russian election interference, urging the committee to “follow the trail of dead Russians.”