House Intelligence Committee chair says Russian propaganda has spread through parts of GOP

By Avery Lotz, CNN

(CNN) — House Intelligence Committee chair Mike Turner said Sunday that Russian propaganda has “absolutely” seeped its way to Congress, saying some of his Republican colleagues have repeated false claims on the chamber’s floor.

“It is absolutely true we see, directly coming from Russia, attempts to mask communications that are anti-Ukraine and pro-Russia messages, some of which we even hear being uttered on the House floor,” the Ohio Republican told CNN’s Jake Tapper on “State of the Union.”

Turner’s comments come after House Foreign Affairs chair Michael McCaul’s told Puck News last week that Russian propaganda has “infected a good chunk” of the GOP base.

Turner, who has been an outspoken advocate of passing additional aid to embattled Ukraine, said Sunday: “There are members of Congress today who still incorrectly say that this conflict between Russia and Ukraine is over NATO, which of course it is not.”

“To the extent that this propaganda takes hold, it makes it more difficult for us to really see this as an authoritarian versus democracy battle,” he added.

The Senate passed a $95.3 billion foreign aid bill that included assistance for Ukraine and Israel in February, but House Speaker Mike Johnson, whose future as a leader in the party remains uncertain following Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s move to oust him from the speakership, refused to immediately bring the package for a vote.

Turner said Sunday he does not believe Johnson is at “any risk” of being ousted by the “chaos caucus,” pointing to members “who are seeking attention for themselves and trying to stop all of the important work in Congress.”

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