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This fact brief was originally published as an experiment to test the concepts behind fact briefs.
Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of useful information in fact briefs like this one, not all of them reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.
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FACT BRIEF

Did a group of Republican Congress members spend the Fourth of July in Russia?

By Austin Tannenbaum
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YES

In 2018, a group of Republican legislators made a visit to Russia that coincided with the Fourth of July. However, to imply this action was unpatriotic is a misrepresentation of the facts.

The group was on a diplomatic mission to warn Russia against meddling in the 2018 midterm election. The trip occurred a month before Trump and Putin were to meet to discuss Russian influence in the 2016 presidential election, among other topics.

One Senator from the group stated,

“We didn't come here to say, what you've been doing is great, and we're going to look the other way. We came here to talk candidly and honestly. The Russians can earn a better relationship with the U.S. if they want to.”

The group, comprised of seven senators and one House member, was the first congressional delegation to visit Russia since the country’s annexation of Crimea in 2014.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
The Hill GOP senators visited Moscow on July 4, warned Russia against meddling in 2018 election: report
NPR GOP Congressmen Visit Moscow, Thaw Icy Relations Before Trump-Putin Talks
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Gigafact
Between 2020 and 2022, under close editorial supervision, Gigafact contracted a group of freelance writers and editors to test the concepts for fact briefs and provide inputs to our software development process. We call this effort Gigafact Foundry. Over the course of these two years, Gigafact Foundry writers published over 1500 fact briefs in response to claims they found online. Their important work forms the basis of Gigafact formats and editorial guidelines, and is available to the public on Gigafact.org. Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of relevant information to be found, not all fact briefs produced by Gigafact Foundry reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date and need to be looked at with fresh eyes, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.
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About fact briefs published on Gigafact
Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.