As Twitchy told you earlier, the DOJ has charged 29-year-old Russian national Mariia Butina with “conspiracy to act as an agent of the Russian Federation within the United States.” According to the FBI, Butina worked to develop relationships with a “gun rights organization,” which was reportedly confirmed to be the NRA.
Now, while NBC News’ initial tweet on the story was pretty straightforward:
JUST IN: Russian national Mariia Butina charged "in conspiracy to act as an agent of the Russian Federation within the United States," DOJ says. pic.twitter.com/py6gl17KTM
— NBC News (@NBCNews) July 16, 2018
They apparently couldn’t resist including a not-so-subtle detail in their next tweet:
Gun-loving former aide to a top Russian official has been arrested and charged with being a foreign agent who conspired with her ex-boss to infiltrate politically powerful U.S. organizations and push Moscow's agenda. https://t.co/fw8epEqn9B
— NBC News (@NBCNews) July 16, 2018
OK …
https://twitter.com/javelinabomb/status/1018972875695378432
Of all the possible ways to describe Butina, why did NBC News opt for “gun-loving”?
Seriously, what does "gun loving" have anything to do with this article?
— AlanH▄︻̷̿┻̿═━一 ++ (@Whatkniffer) July 16, 2018
Butina’s alleged relationship with the NRA is certainly eyebrow-raising, to say the least. But choosing “gun-loving” as the main descriptor for an effing alleged Russian agent doesn’t seem so much like reporting as it does tying themselves into knots to work in a dig at gun owners (most of whom, we’ll bet, haven’t conspired against American interests). Again.
This crap is getting old.
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