From KGB rising star to Great Democratic Hope to hardline Russian autocrat, Vladimir Putin has had way more than nine lives. He just got another one: U.S. prime time TV media darling.
Probably realizing that the heat surrounding Russia’s interference in the election and his psycho-dramatic relationship with the Trump administration aren’t doing his PR any favors, Putin is making himself very available to US TV networks.
Oliver Stone, whose movie biopics of JFK, Nixon, George W. Bush and Snowden have made him a popular cultural figure on the left, has interviewed the Russian president for Showtime. The Putin Interviews are airing on the CBS-owned premium cable network for four consecutive nights from June 12. Putin addresses the matter of whether Russia rigged the 2016 U.S. election and says he’s survived five assassination attempts.
Stone, an outspoken liberal, is getting assassinated by the left on Twitter, with many people say he is betraying his principles. While they were OK with Stone interviewing Hugo Chavez and Fidel Castro, Putin is not acceptable choice for Stone because of his alleged crimes against Hillary Clinton and the world in general:
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Oliver Stone’s Putin interview plays into the strongman’s https://t.co/q3KAFRgoWj https://t.co/Wg3Ghv0N2M
— John Kennedy (@HESNOTMYKING) June 2, 2017
Putin’s useful idiot Oliver Stone on #730report tonight
— Gofer Cough (@GoferCough) May 29, 2017
Salon, that barometer of liberal inertia, is freaking out. “In attempting to pivot away from [the] facts by casting them as untrue or unhelpful in a proper analysis of Putin, Stone appears either naive, uncaring or compromised.”
The night before Stone’s Putin confab happens, Megyn Kelly is kicking off her new NBC News show with Putin. Pictures of the encounter don’t bring to mind Frost/Nixon. The former Fox News presenter is sporting an off-the-shoulder blue velvet dress with a large slit. Kelly’s velvet pumps, black toenails and gold ring are causing unkind observers to reckon she’s dressed more for an audience with One Direction than one dictator.
EXCLUSIVE: NBC News’ @megynkelly joins Vladimir Putin and Narendra Modi ahead of tomorrow’s International Economic Forum in Russia. pic.twitter.com/L12ahtuTDO
— NBC News (@NBCNews) June 1, 2017
NBC’s Megyn Kelly Dresses Like High Class Hooker for Putin Interview https://t.co/mzkoJKOyzz
— Trumpnado (@JayS2629) June 2, 2017
@NBCNews Megyn Kelly sucking up to Putin so he can lie to Americans is disgusting — Putin and Trump deserve each other — the U.S. doesn’t
— Ohnjaye (@Ohnjaye4) June 2, 2017
Is anyone else bothered that Megyn Kelly is interviewing Putin? Why are we giving this murderous dictator a platform to spread propaganda?
— Leo Thelion (@528ILoveAnimals) June 2, 2017
Her giggly demeanor, as though the recent developments in Ukraine and Crimea are punchlines, has only added to the opprobrium that she appears to be striking the wrong tone for sitting down with a controversial statesman. We’ll find out Sunday.
Meantime what’s next for Putin? The View?
