GOP Divided? Or Just Ignoring the Elephant in the Russian Orthodox Church?
The Hill highlighted a story about Republican division over a visit from an 'Orthodox Christian advocacy group' to Capitol Hill, linking it vaguely to Russia and Ukraine. This framing conveniently ignores the long-standing, well-documented playbook of foreign influence operations that routinely target US lawmakers. While the article paints a picture of confusion, it sidesteps the more critical
questions about foreign entities, religious or otherwise, seeking to sway American policy through back channels. This isn't about 'Orthodox Christians'; it's about geopolitical allegiances trying to find a wedge into US politics. Perhaps the 'division' isn't about the faith itself, but rather about which foreign governments US lawmakers are permitted to openly engage with. One might consider how
much scrutinizing attention a group advocating for, say, Palestinian rights or an end to US military aid to Israel would receive on Capitol Hill – and from which 'mainstream' outlets. The real story here is not GOP division, but the media's selective spotlight on certain influence efforts while others are treated as business as usual, often with hefty campaign contributions paving the way for
access. How many times will we see 'concern' for foreign influence when it aligns with convenient narratives, but silence when the money trails lead to more entrenched, taxpayer-funded beneficiaries?