The TrumpPutin relationship is examined. Russia. Putin has an untrammeled authority. I dont see any checks on his power. He is able to make singular, rapid decisions. The absolutism there is unlike anything ive ever seen in russia. All that power is propped up by an astonishing Approval Rating, over 80 . And thats according to american pollsters. Donald trump wins the presidency. But when the United States elected a new president , it looked like russia had fallen for a new leader. There were toasts all over moscow. At the parliament, known as the duma. On talk shows. And at bars. [ laughter ] we are the champions of the world but one man seemed utterly unsurprised by trumps victory. Hes happy to take credit. And that means that he won the u. S. Election. The man who is simultaneously president of russia and in charge of the United States. At the heart of all this are some deadly serious questions. Does Vladimir Putin have some kind of hold over donald trump . We simply dont know. But
Heroes, and im a fan of the show and as i was volunteering here, i said, wait, cnn heroes and dr. Gore and perfect match. I am so proud of my friend to see him excel in this way and show the world what he does. So surreal, so exciting and so rewarding. And you may recognize dr. Gores nominator from a recent blockbuster superhero movie, and which one . Find out at cnn heroes. Com and while you are there, tell us about someone that you think should be a cnn hero, and heads up, nominations close tuesday night. Thank you for watching. Our coverage continues. The following is a cnn special report. Winston churchill famously said of russia, it is a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside of
an enigma, and Prime Minister churchill, meet Vladimir Putin. He is really much very much a leader, and he has done an amazing job. So smart. And he doesnt have a soul. And Vladimir Putin is a thug and a murderer and a killer. He is the richest man in the world. Hundreds of billions of dollars of wealth. What
perhaps the foundation of the putin juggernaut is a political truism no matter where you live. it s the economy, stupid. after the chaotic years of boris yeltsin, putin stepped in and stabilized the country, and he rode the wave of ever rising oil prices, which in russia s resource-rich economy, translated into rising wages and soaring stock indices. then in late 2014, the party stopped. oil prices slumped. and soon after came western economic sanctions. vladimir putin has navigated hard times well. he has slashed social spending, implemented an austerity program, allowed the ruble to fall and the bank kept inflation in check. putin is a fiscal conservative. the outward seeming ethic of wealth looks closer to dubai it s an amazing transformation. add to the economics, putin s
everything that we find ridiculous about vladimir putin is very appealing in a media universe that he controls absolutely everything. perhaps the foundation of the putin juggernaut is a truism no mat wrer you liv matter where you live, it s the economy, stupid. after the chaotic years of yeltsin, putin stepped in and stabilized the country. and he rode the wave of ever rising oil prices which in russia s resource rich economy translated into rising wages and soaring stock indices. then in late 2014, the party stopped. oil prices slumped and soon after came western economic sanctions. putin has navigated hard times well. he has slashed social spending, implemented an austerity program, allowed the ruble to fall and central bank kept
manly photo op. he rides horseback bare chested, finds ancient treasures under water, rides a submarine to the bottom of the black sea, flies planes, fights forest fires. there s something ridiculous about a middle-aged world leader riding around shirtless on a horse like conan the barbarian after a dozen donuts. who thinks this looks good? everything we find ridiculous about vladimir putin is very appealing in a media universe that he controls absolutely. perhaps the foundation of the putin juggernaut is a political truism no matter where you live. it s the economy, stupid. after the chaotic years of boris yeltsin, putin stepped in and stabilized the country, and he rode the wave of ever rising oil prices, which in russia s resource-rich economy, translated into rising wages and soaring stock indices.