The Road to Unfreedom: Russia, Europe, America

In Chapter 6, Snyder discusses how Vladimir Putin’s regime undermined democratic principles, notably in the US by supporting Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign. Through cyberwar tactics, Russian propaganda outlets, active on social media, portrayed Trump favorably while disparaging Hillary Clinton, thus advancing Putin’s agenda to weaken American democratic foundations. This manipulation exploited vulnerabilities in American society and politics.

Snyder states that, starting in the 1990s, Trump properties, such as the Trump Tower, supported a significant portion of transactions with individuals or entities linked to the former Soviet Union, which points to a pattern of financial crimes tied to Trump’s real estate. Despite Trump’s public persona as a successful businessman, he was deeply compromised by his reliance on Russian money to sustain his business ventures. This dependence extended into his presidential campaign, as he continued to receive financial support from Russian sources. Snyder argues that this suggests that Russia was aiming to destabilize American society.

The Soviet secret police specializes in “active measures” (223), a strategy aimed at manipulating adversaries into undermining themselves. These tactics became particularly relevant as the digital age evolved, shifting the terrain of international rivalry from physical goods to the psychological manipulation of populations. Snyder argues that, by 2016, Russian operatives exploited the average American citizen through television and social media.