Intel operatives lack credibility on Russia meddling after pushing the Russian collusion hoax

NY Times:

Trump Dismisses Warning of Russian 2020 Meddling as a Democratic ‘Hoax’

The president described the intelligence finding that Russia was meddling in the 2020 election, delivered last week to House lawmakers, as a partisan “misinformation campaign.”
Crying wolf has its limits.  This "intel" seems to play to Democrat paranoia and if it is to be believed the Russians are rooting for the front runners in the GOP and the Democrat party.  The rationale for supporting Bernie Sanders is obvious.  His policies would be a disaster for the US.  The rationale for supporting Trump is less obvious but it looks like a play on Democrat paranoia.

The Democrats would clearly benefit from Democrat energy policies.  A fracking ban would be a windfall for the Russian energy business.  The Russians would also like to see a weaker defense posture that would come from Democrats being in charge of the US.

The main benefit they appear to get from Trump is the Democrats' reaction to him.  They like the chaos that Democrats attempt to impose in their reaction to Trump and his policies.

Both CNN and CBS have debunked the report that the Russians have a preference for Trump.
...

Even CNN’s Jake Tapper called it out in his reporting, citing a national security official source who he knew and trusted. The classified briefing happened last Thursday and was conducted by Shelby Pierson, the Intelligence Community election threats executive under the acting Director of National Intelligence Joseph Maguire.

From Washington Examiner:

“What’s been articulated in the news is that the intelligence community has concluded that the Russians are trying to help Trump again. But the intelligence doesn’t say that,” Tapper’s source said. “The problem is Shelby said they developed a preference for Trump. A more reasonable interpretation of the intelligence is not that they have a preference, it’s a step short of that.”

The national security official added that “it’s more that they understand the president is someone they can work with, he’s a dealmaker. But not that they prefer him over” his Democratic opponents.

“So it may have been mischaracterized by Shelby,” Tapper’s source said.

Trump disputed it too.

“Another misinformation campaign is being launched by Democrats in Congress saying that Russia prefers me to any of the Do Nothing Democrat candidates,” Trump tweeted Friday.

Now CBS’ Catherine Herridge is debunking the report as well with her source. Herridge’s source said there was nothing to back up the claim, “briefers had none to offer.”
Source familiar w/house briefing @CBSNews says briefers pressed for evidence to back up claims Russia “trying to help POTUS in 2020.” Asked if there was signals intelligence - such as phone intercepts or “SIGINT” - to back up claims, source said briefers had none to offer


Yet, how many people now believe this story because of the New York Times and Schiff weaponizing it?...

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