In 2016, Donald Trump conspired with a foreign government to become President. On July 25, 2019, with the 2020 election around the corner, he decided to do it again.
The first time around, it was collusion, aiding and abetting Russia’s attack on American democracy. The second time, it was extortion, demanding the Ukrainian government manufacture dirt on Trump’s political opponents in exchange for help the country needs to fend off a Russian invasion and chart a democratic future free of Vladimir Putin’s Kremlin.
To make sense of these recent events that have rocked American politics and led to very real concerns that the President of the United States may be a Russian asset, we need to dig a little deeper.
In Season 1, The Asset dives into Trump’s decades-long history with Russia, from his extensive business dealings with Russian oligarchs to his presidential campaign and the investigations that have sent some of his closest associates to prison.
In Season 2, The Asset explores the backstory to Trump’s infamous phone call with the newly-elected Ukrainian President, where he demanded an investigation into a political opponent and set off a series of events leading to the impeachment inquiry.
Hosted by Max Bergmann, a senior fellow and director of the Moscow Project at the Center for American Progress Action Fund, and featuring expert guests, The Asset will put together the pieces of Trump’s relationship with Russia and Ukrainian extortion campaign.
The Asset is a partnership between the Center for American Progress Action Fund, Media Syndication Services, and Protect the Investigation. It is produced by Paul Woodhull, a 20-year veteran media executive and president of Build Better Media, and Peter Ogburn, the executive producer of the Bill Press Show.
Left Photo: Getty Images/Jamie Squire. Right Photo: Getty Images/Mikhail Svetlov.
BEHIND THE MIC
The Moscow Project is an initiative of the Center for American Progress Action Fund dedicated to analyzing the facts behind Trump’s collusion with Russia and communicating the findings to the public.
The Moscow Project’s team employs a multi-disciplinary approach towards its work, leveraging a unique combination of experience and expertise gained on Capitol Hill, at the State Department, and in private industry to examine this complex and sprawling series of events stretching back decades.
Protect the Investigation is a non-partisan initiative to educate the American people about the importance of the inquiry into foreign interference in our democracy. With an advisory board including former CIA, FBI, and State Department officials, Protect the Investigation works to keep the public appraised on the latest updates surrounding the special counsel investigation.
Ned Price of National Security Action, Max Bergmann of the Moscow Project at the Center for American Progress Action Fund, Elizabeth Wydra of the Constitutional Accountability Center, Austin Evers of American Oversight, Lisa Gilbert of Public Citizen, Vanita Gupta of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, and former FBI Special Agent Asha Rangappa are members of the Protect the Investigation Advisory Board.
District Productive is a podcast network and incubator on Capitol Hill in Washington DC. The Productive team has decades of experience creating highly successful audio and video programs for broadcast, cable, digital and social media.