In Russia, Yevgeny Prigozhin is a prominent businessman, an influential public figure, and a close ally to Vladimir Putin. Prigozhin — often referred to as “Putin’s chef” because of his catering contracts with the Kremlin — is also reportedly the founder of a shadowy mercenary force closely linked to the Kremlin.

It was against this backdrop that Prigozhin took the unusual step yesterday of admitting that Russia has interfered in U.S. elections — and would continue to do so. Reuters reported:

In comments posted by the press service of his Concord catering firm on Russia’s Facebook equivalent VKontakte, Prigozhin said: “We have interfered (in U.S. elections), we are interfering and we will continue to interfere. Carefully, accurately, surgically and in our own way, as we know how to do.” … “During our pinpoint operations, we will remove both kidneys and the liver at once,” Prigozhin said. He did not elaborate on the cryptic comment.

A New York Times report added that a Russian state-owned news agency described the comments as ironic, but Mr. Prigozhin “has been accused of being deeply involved in such operations. In 2018, he was indicted by the United States in a case involving the troll factory that spearheaded Russian efforts to meddle in the 2016 elections in the United States.”

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For some, the comments might’ve seemed unremarkable. Of course Russia has targeted U.S. elections. Of course Putin’s government doesn’t intend to stop. Of course this is the sort of security threat that should, but won’t, generate bipartisan outrage.

But part of what made Prigozhin’s candor so notable was the degree to which he embarrassed Republicans in the United States who’ve spent years denying what was plainly true.

Take Donald Trump, for example.

In July 2018, the then-Republican president traveled to Helsinki for a summit with Putin, and at a post-meeting press conference, the Russian leader repeated his usual line, insisting that Moscow never interfered in American elections, despite the unanimous judgments of U.S. intelligence agencies.

At the event, a reporter asked Trump whether he believed Putin’s denials or the findings of American intelligence professionals. The Republican sided with Putin, praising the autocrat’s “extremely strong and powerful” denial.

Soon after, The New York Times reported that U.S. intelligence officials “were unanimous in saying that they and their colleagues were aghast at how Mr. Trump had handled himself with Mr. Putin.” One official summarized a consensus view, concluding that it was clear whose side Trump was on, and “it isn’t ours.”

In the aftermath of the Trump/Putin event, Axios spoke to one of Trump’s own former National Security Council officials who described the situation as “a total [effing] disgrace,” adding that Trump had “lost his mind.”

About three years later, in June 2021, the Republican — five months after leaving the White House — issued a written statement reiterating that he trusted Russia more than “our ‘Intelligence’ from the Obama era.”

And yet, here we are, watching a prominent Putin ally, on the eve of American elections, brag about Russia targeting our elections, making Trump and his allies look ridiculous — again.