Kevin McCarthy’s Pro-Trump Ad Uses Stock Video Footage From Russia

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) speaks about the impeachment inquiry with members of the press during his weekly press conference in the Capitol on September 26, 2019. (Photo by Aurora Samperio/NurPhoto v... House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) speaks about the impeachment inquiry with members of the press during his weekly press conference in the Capitol on September 26, 2019. (Photo by Aurora Samperio/NurPhoto via Getty Images) MORE LESS
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House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) posted a 30-second ad on Monday that praised President Donald Trump for “getting things done” despite the House impeachment investigation into Trump’s misuse of U.S. foreign policy, which includes Trump pushing a conspiracy theory about Ukraine propagated by Russia.

Then CNN reporter Andrew Kaczynski noticed something ironic about the video: Some of the stock footage came from Russia.

Trump and his allies have been peddling the bogus conspiracy theory that Ukraine, not Russia, interfered in the 2016 elections. Former National Security Council official Fiona Hill warned Congress last week that the conspiracy theory is a “a fictional narrative that has been perpetrated and propagated by the Russian security services themselves.”

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Notable Replies

  1. Donald Trump’s entire foreign policy comes from Russia.

  2. It’s called “vertical integration”. Money is from Russia. Candidate is from Russia. Policy aims are from Russia. Why shouldn’t the stock footage be, too?

  3. It’s never going to happen, but Speaker Pelosi 4 Lyfe.

  4. Oops.

    Rick Perry: “Hey, wait a minute! That’s my line!”

  5. Oof. Can’t make this sh*t up.

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