katrina, you think we're all overacting to the helsinki summit. explain. >> i think we need sober realism on russia, fareed. we need more reason, less talk of treason. the open letter, yes, the mueller investigation must proceed, must be protelkted. but we must do everything we can to accident occsecure and prote election. that means protection against dark money, voter suppression, partisan gerrymandering and reduce conflict with russia. these are the two countries that control 90% of the world's nuclear weapons. so i think it's vital. our weapon was signed by people like ambassador matlock. by gloria stein hyheimsteinheim. these are people that understand that cold war is lousy for citizens, for women, for children, for progressives, deplete resources, empower war parties. we need a debate, fareed and i thank you for inviting me on. there's a lock down in the media. it's a one handed clapping when it comes to the u.s. having a relationship with russia. understanding putin is an authoritarian figure. also understanding the nation's open letter wa

it katrina is right that most americans want good relations between the united states and russia. the issue is, does the president have any idea about how to achieve that goal? what are the requirements of it? one requirement as katrina suggests is actually a debate, although he makes it a lot harder to have a debate because everybody just has to gang up against him and has to because he requires it. the requirements are better russian-american relations are to start with a certain kind of unity in the united states and in the u.s. government. we're in the unique situation of having a president who has his entire administration and the congress against him on a major foreign policy issue. he can't do this by himself. second requirement is unity within the alliance. he's threatened that. a third requirement is some kind of leverage, the president seems to be interested in reducing our leverage. the incentives that we give russia to act responsibly. he wants to have a big deal in syria, for example, and yet he wants to -- his clear goal is to get out of syria. that isn't going to gi

amy: katrina vanden heuvel, thank you for being with us. when we come back, a man who critiques every level of the state. and their thoughts and not just thekatrina vanden heuvel is edir and publisher of the nation.and. she's also a co-signer of the magazine's open letter: "common ground: for secure elections and true national security." the letter is also signed by daniel ellsbsberg, gloria stein, noam chomsky, governor bill richardson, reverend dr. william barber and michael moore, among others. we will link to it at democracynow.org. when we comeme back, boots rile. stay with us. ♪ [music break] amy: "pimps" performed by the coup and produced by boots riley. this is democracy now!, democracynow.org, the war and peace report. i'm amy goodman with juan gonzalez. we spend the rest of the hour with boots riley, director of "sorry to bother you," the dystopian social satire that follows one oakland man's rise to the upper echelons of an evil telemarketing company, only to discover a secret that threatens all of humankind. here is the crical

we will speak with katrina vanden heuvel from the nation magazine. looks the nation has released --, ground for secure elections for international security and the belief when a 2-d escalate tensions with russia and that there is a false choice between having secure elections and that relationship. nucuclear a catastrophe, elections are going to be an a afterthought. amy: masass protest are expected to greet trump as he arrives for his first visit to britain as president. protesters will float a 20 foot long giant baby trump blimp outside parliament that will ngry the president as an orange baby clututching a cell phone ready to tweet. repsents a hosof issu. it isn't just about mocking him. it is about drawingttention that his politics are havining a real i impact on real lives, not just in the u.s.s., but all over the world. amy: we will speak witith sheila menon, one of the b blimp organizers, and with colin -- guardian columnist george monbiot. all that and more, coming up. welcome to democracy now!, democracynow.org, the war and peace report. i'm