Kremlin influencers visit — disputed U.S. delegation threatens bipartisan isolation of Russia

A conservative influencer and a Trump-appointed official have converged on Russia, providing the Kremlin exactly the kind of propaganda lift it needs as it prosecutes its war on Ukraine. Candace Owens was a panelist at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum — Russia's answer to Davos — while Andrew and Tristan Tate, though not attending the forum, were in Moscow receiving a welcome ceremony involving Russian dancing and song. The brothers posted footage of their arrival but were explicitly not part of the forum program.

Complicating matters further, Rodney Mims Cook Jr., chairman of the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts — a Trump appointee — led what he claimed was an official U.S. delegation to the forum. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, however, publicly told a Senate committee he was 'not aware' of an official delegation attending, creating a striking disconnect between Cook's account and the administration's own public posture. This disputed authorization erodes the post-2022 Western consensus that Russia must be diplomatically and economically isolated.

For American foreign policy, these visits undermine efforts to maintain a unified front against Russian aggression. Even if unofficial, the optics of a U.S. official — or an influencer with millions of followers — legitimizing Putin's showcase event tells autocrats worldwide that the U.S. is willing to normalize ties with regimes that invade neighbors. The absence of a clear White House denial or investigation into Cook's claimed clearance signals to allies that the U.S. commitment to democratic solidarity is weakening, exactly as the Kremlin hopes.