Jump to content

Russia is trying to help Trump win in 2020, lawmakers warned


webfact

Recommended Posts

Lawmakers were briefed that Russia is looking to help Trump win in 2020

By Dana Bash, Jeremy Herb and Jim Acosta, CNN

 

Washington (CNN)The intelligence community's top election security official delivered a briefing to lawmakers last week warning them that the intelligence community believes Russia is already taking steps to interfere in the 2020 election with the goal of helping President Donald Trump win, three sources familiar with the matter tell CNN.

 

Last week's briefing, led by election security official Shelby Pierson and first reported by The New York Times, addressed the overall picture of Russia's efforts, including hacking, weaponizing social media and attacks on election infrastructure, one of the sources said.

 

The briefers said Russia does favor Trump, but that helping Trump wasn't the only thing they were trying to do as it was also designed to raise questions about the integrity of the elections process, the source added.

 

Full story: https://edition.cnn.com/2020/02/20/politics/trump-russia-intelligence-2020/index.html

 

cnn.jpg

-- © Copyright CNN 2020-02-21
  • Haha 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

U.S. intelligence told lawmakers of Russian bid to boost Trump re-election - source

By Jonathan Landay

 

2020-02-21T002640Z_1_LYNXMPEG1K00Z_RTROPTP_4_USA-ELECTION-TRUMP.JPG

FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Donald Trump holds a campaign rally in Phoenix, Arizona, February 19, 2020. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. intelligence officials told lawmakers last week that Russia is interfering in the 2020 election campaign by aiming to cast doubt on the integrity of the vote and boost President Donald Trump's re-election, a person familiar with the briefing said on Thursday.

 

The person, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the matter's sensitivity, said Trump's Republican allies on the Democratic-led House Intelligence Committee questioned the assessment presented by officials of the Office of National Intelligence last Thursday.

 

"The Republicans responded as you would expect. They went nuts," said the person. "They questioned the intelligence."

 

The briefers warned the committee in the classified briefing that Russia was working to cast doubt on the integrity of the Nov. 3 vote while at the same time boosting Trump's election to a second four-year term.

 

"They (the Russians) are favouring one candidate while they do it," said the person, adding that the briefers identified that candidate as Trump. The source declined to elaborate.

 

There was no immediate response to a request for comment from committee Republicans.

 

The New York Times reported on Thursday that a day after the briefing, Trump rebuked acting Director of National Intelligence Joseph Maguire for allowing his staff to appear before the committee. It quoted five people familiar with the matter.

 

Trump said on Wednesday he was replacing Maguire on an acting basis with Richard Grenell, a strong Trump loyalist who has served as ambassador to Germany since 2018.

 

The Times said that in reprimanding Maguire, Trump cited the presence in the briefing of Democratic Representative Adam Schiff, the intelligence panel chairman. He led the House impeachment proceedings against Trump on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress stemming from the president's dealings with Ukraine.

 

The Republican-controlled Senate acquitted Trump of the charges last month.

 

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

 

The Washington Post reported that Trump rebuked Maguire in an Oval Office meeting after a Republican ally informed the president of the election security briefing.

 

Shelby Pierson, a Maguire lieutenant who oversees election security, led last week's briefing for the House committee, according to the Times.

 

The Office of the Director of National Intelligence declined to comment.

 

U.S. officials have long warned that Russia and other countries would try to interfere in the 2020 U.S. presidential election campaign.

 

The U.S. intelligence community concluded that Russia used fake news, cyber attacks and other methods in an operation designed to swing the 2016 presidential election to Trump over Democrat Hillary Clinton.

 

Russia denies the allegation.

 

Trump has repeatedly questioned the finding. At a 2018 summit, he said he found Russian President Vladimir Putin's denials of Russian meddling "extremely strong and powerful."

 

Former Special Counsel Robert Mueller concluded in a report last year that there was no conclusive evidence of coordination between Russia and the Trump campaign. Mueller was unable, however, to clear Trump of obstructing his investigation.

 

(Reporting by Jonathan Landay; Editing by Peter Cooney)

 

reuters_logo.jpg

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-02-21
  • Haha 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

10 minutes ago, Cryingdick said:

 

I am more or less laughing at the thought of Russians weaponizing social media. If that's the case pretty much every other nation on the planet weaponizes social media to work against Trump. Russia and Russians can say what they want on the internet if I am required to suffer the Australians, and British and their take on things.

 

Aren't they just being influencers? How is Greta any different weaponizing her agenda to change the USA elections?

Greta isnt in govt.

  • Like 1
  • Sad 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

28 minutes ago, 248900_1469958220 said:

Oh god....not again.....If he wins again, it will be because the Democrats are a bickering pack of idiots.

Or just possibly because he hasn't made a bad fist of the fist 3 years he has been in..........

 

Is your nom-de-plume the winning numbers for next weeks Lotto............I'm asking for the wife.......& the tree................:coffee1:

 

 

.

Edited by sanuk711
  • Haha 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just now, sanuk711 said:

Or just possibly because he hasn't made a bad fist of the first 3 years he has been in..........

 

Is your nom-de-plume the winning numbers for next weeks Lotto............I'm asking for the wife.......................:coffee1:

That was my prison number branded on my back when the Martians stole me, sleeping happily in my bed. I spent decades mining for a material I have no understanding of. The food was terrible and the place smells like blue vein stinky cheese.....but give the lottery a go!

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.





×
×
  • Create New...