Lesson about democracy. We thought it was an Important Note to end the week on. Sometimes we think the system isnt working, but its important to keep that struggle in mind. Thank you for doing that, we will pick up exactly where you left off. Have a good weekend. Have a good show. Rachel without putin. That was one of the chants shouted by the people who Alexei Navalny, thousands of people who knew that they were risking their freedom, possibly their lives to say that. Alexei navalny who was harassed, poisoned imprisoned, and ultimately killed is proof of what happens to those Who Defy Putin and russia. Navalnys widow yulia and their two children did not attend the funeral because of fears of their own safety, Russian Police patrol the funeral, they stopped mourners from entering the church, unable to view, as you saw the open casket where navalnys body was covered with Red And White roses. The New York Times reports that Cell Phone Service in the area had been reduced to the lower band with 3g standard and described it as a mobile shutdown. Thats what it means to live in russia with putin. Despite this, a quarter of 1 Million People streamed navalnys funeral. That is putins worst nightmare, Vladimir Putin is running for reelection right now, the election is in two weeks, even in death, Alexei NavalnyWho Dared Run Against Putin in the last president ial election in 2018 was able to speak through his supporters today. Defiantly objecting to putins rule. Today, Vladimir Putin who is essentially running unopposed this year made a martyr out of his enemy. Today, Alexei Navalnys protest against him was louder, and it was multiplied in the voices that shouted we wont forget. And russia will be freed at is funeral today. Back here its a reminder to not take our own democracy for granted, especially in an Election Year where the Presumptive Republican nominee donald trump is a putin fan boy. Trump loves putins impunity, which he perversely calls strength, he promotes a similar authoritarian vision in america, Undermining Law Order and dehumanizing people, threatening judges and prosecutors. Just last night on fox, trump said that president s need full immunity in order to take quote severe actions. We are trying to do something good for the country, even if it is severe, the severe may be a great thing for the country, they have to have president ial immunity. Severe like what . Mass deportations . Shooting protesters . Executing Vice President s who tried to stop him . Thats how people live in dictatorships. In russia with putin where the general who defies him goes down on a plane crash, and the candidates who runs against him dies in a suburban prison, this is who donald trump sees as a hero, according to the former australian Prime Minister malcolm. Ive been with trump and putin, trump isnt of putin. When you see trump with putin, as i have on a few occasions, he is like the 12yearold boy that goes to high school and meets the captain of the football team. [laughter] my hero, its really creepy. Donald trump wants to help putin and nato. Donald trump wants to help putin defeat democracy in ukraine. Most republicans in congress who live in a free country who have so much less to fear than every ordinary person who showed up at navalnys funeral today continue to help Donald Trumps dark vision of a world more like that, of Vladimir Putin. Leading off our discussion tonight is the retired Lieutenant Colonel alexander vindman, he served as director of European Affairs at the National Security council during the trump administration. And Msnbc International Affairs AnalystMichael Mcfaul who served as u. S. Ambassador to russia from 2000 and 12 to 2014. Gentlemen, thank you for joining me for this important lead off discussion tonight. Colonel vindman, you are one of those people you came from a part of the world that was not enjoying democracy, and you saw something as a person who worked in the administration, you saw something that felt dishonest, and you stood up. You had something to lose, and you did lose something, you lost your career for doing it. But that was what you said, when you said we cant have this lawlessness that goes on in the other parts of the world in america. In a lot of ways we are seeing both trump telegraph the kind of world he wants to live in, and we dont have to use our imagination too hard because we can see that world manifested in front of us because trump tells us that he wants to emulate Vladimir Putin. In that we see what life could be like. We see a world in which trump would like to eliminate his opposition. He would like to imprison them, poisoned them, potentially murder them. Mass deportation, we saw that play out in regards to russia. What i fear, and frankly, desperately hope doesnt happen is that we dont have to have our population come out in thousands or, Tens Of Thousands to protest against barbarism in the United States. Its striking that in the course of two years of war putin has done everything he could just to oppress the population, and thinks that he has count them. People were out on The Street Chanting against the war, chanting for Alexei Navalny, and a different vision of russia. Again, i do not wish to see anything like that happen in the United States. Thats why you hear me, and ambassador mcfaul, who i have had the privilege of serving for in moscow, we are focused on making sure that were over there does not come to the u. S. Our troops dont get pulled in, and we protect democracy at home. Ambassador, lets talk about the idea that were two weeks away from an election in which there has never been any doubt that Vladimir Putin would be the victor. Why does that stuff still happen . Why are those people prepared to go out. They know who the next president of russias going to be. They know, as Colonel Vindman has said, they know from the outbreak of ukraine war, and other demonstrations in favor of navalny are supporting his effort, they know you can go in jail, and yet they come. They come knowing that they may face arrest, or worse. I have deep admiration for all the people who did come on this horrific day for all of russia, for the navalny family. For me personally, i know the navalny family, i knew alexei for many years, he was a talented leader, he was the mandela, he was the valencia, of his country with one horrible, tragic difference, he was killed in prison, he was not released. To answer your question, i would say remember what navalny said in the movie at the end of it, if they have to kill me, and if i am dead, that means we are stronger than you know we are. We are stronger than you think we are. Something to that effect. I think what you saw today is you are absolutely right, every single one of those people are being photographed, they could go to jail for years for what they were chanting. I have friends in jail in russia right now who have gone to jail for years for chanting what they said. But they are defying him, and for everyone who was there, there are many, many more sitting in their kitchens who are afraid and have exactly the same preferences, we have to remember thats not all russians think like putin, not all russians support putin. He told me years ago, when talking about these stores, dont say russians, talk about putin, talk about the russian administration, dont paint all russians with the same brush, same thing can be said for america right now, for a lot of people looking at us and what are you people doing, its not all of us, there are some people in america who protests every day. People who protest the injustice, so this is not a fight we have lost in america, yet. We have the vote, our vote actually matters, and we can make changes, but it takes acts of courage to do this. I think that is true, frankly we might have only one more vote left that really matters. If trump comes to office, he has already declared that he tends to be a dictator. The chief will is investing in broad powers, it is not easy to undo american democracy that has been around for nearly 250 years. But a lot of damage has been done and President Trump has every intention to do that. So we have one more vote, we need to make sure population shows up so that we dont have to face the challenges and impressions that the russians are facing. I think the fact is that between now and then, its going to be a particularly difficult period. There are steps that need to be taken to make sure that the war between russia and ukraine doesnt spillover. That the highest risk of that happening frankly is if ukraine doesnt get support. The Republican Party must show up in an effort to support and advance u. S. National security and pass a ukraine aid package. Same aid packages that would support taiwan and israel. But it is critically important that ukraine gets aid, otherwise, there is a big risk that the war could spillover. President macron in france alluded to something of that nature. Worstcase scenario, in the absence of the u. S. , in which europe has no choice but to face off against russia, in ukraine, so that they dont have to face against russia on their own territory. This is an important point you bring up, one would say, president macron, ambassador, is the president of france, and nato country. Why would russia go into a nato country . I want to remind our viewers of what donald trump said on February 10th and South Carolina about a nato leader who said, we dont pay what you say we are supposed to pay, which is a misrepresentation to start with, will you protect us if russia does something . Heres what former President Trump said . No, i would not protect you. In fact, i would encourage them to do whatever the hell they want. So there you have it, ambassador. As the colonel says we dont have to stretch our minds too much to imagine with donald trump would do in these cases, because he tells us what he would do. While he does, that is really scary for me, for the following reasons, he may say that, and he may encourage putin to go in to one of the countries on the border there but the ideas that we would stay out of that conflict, that is naive beyond imagination. It reminds me of the 1930s when people just like trump said, that is not our problem over there. It doesnt matter what the italians are doing in ethiopia, where the japanese and china, or hitler in poland, and then it became our problem. Right. I was in munich last week speaking to leaders, and they are scared to death of that scenario, when putin tasks our commitment to article five and we have a president , perhaps like mr. Trump. Its nice for americans to think that we will be able to keep out of a war in europe. Better to be strong now, Ronald Reagan stated peace through strength than to wait for that scenario to play out, and dont believe me, just go back and read what happened in the 1930s punctuated by what happened to us in 1941. Ali, if i can come into this, the danger is more real, this is not a what if scenario, what happens if donald trump is back in office in 2025. The threat is real because what donald trump has done is he has offered a signal that the Republican Party, not just trump in the future, but the republicans today would not show up in the event of an attack on nato. And that is a recipe for disaster, thats an invitation for putin to test that. He has been wanting to destroy nato for the whole time, to test that resolve, thats a recipe for troops to be in danger. Because we would defend them, but he may not perceive it that way, the same scenario, in the weeks and months before february 22 where putin believed he saw the signal that the Republican Party, the political establishment and the United States will not show up and he struck. He struck out of ukraine, we are in that same situation out, its very dangerous, very real. And even in the months before the election, i think our troops are now in much greater danger than they were before. Thats a remarkable perspective on that. Ambassador, you and Colonel Vindman are students of history, one doesnt have to go too far back in history, you can go back to september 11th 2001, to The One And Only time that article five, the mutual Defense Article of nato was invoked. And it was invoked in the defense of the United States of america, by every other Member Nations who said you have been attacked so we have been attacked, we are here for you. That is right, im glad you are reminding everyone of that. I dont think mr. Trump understands that. By the way they didnt just invoke article five, they send their soldiers to fight with us, and died with us in afghanistan. So, when i hear all the debate about 1 , 2 , i want to remind everyone that our nato allies died for us. We have not had to fight for them, and we are all better off. The one great advantage we have, as the United States of america, when dealing with russia, or dealing with china are our allies, its our one superpower. We have allies, and they dont. So why donald trump doesnt understand that basic fact about our National Security . I know the republicans do around him, i know they are just afraid of him. I wish they would speak up. And, to go back to your analogies between trump and putin, i wrote a piece about that, ali, in february of 2017. And it wasnt how in russia opposition where there, you know who was quiet . The people in his party, the oligarchy, and those who allegedly listened to his christian values, right . He is not so bad, he will cut our taxes, he speaks about christian things that we talk about. Thats what they said in the early years of putin. And as eerily similar as what we hear now, those people being silent, who need to speak up before its too late. We appreciate your time here, your expertise, commitment to democracy. Alexander vindman and Michael Mcfaul, thank you. Coming up we will bring you the latest defendant trump development, as donald trump and jack smith were in the same courtroom. Andrew weissmann and katie feng join us next. Ew weissmann and join us next. Sometimes your work shirt needs to be for more than just work. Like when it needs to be a big soft shoulder to cry on. Which is why downy does more to make clothes softer, fresher, and better. Downy. Breathe life into your laundry. 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Both could have major consequences for how the two cases play out, and when. Its up to judge scott mcafee to decide whether to disqualify the District Attorney fani willis from prosecuting Donald TrumpsGeorgia Election interference case. During Closing Arguments today, Defense Lawyers for donald tr