Trump National Security Advisor Cozies Up to Russia
In an astonishing statement Trump National Security Advisor John Bolton says he has just told President Vladimir Putin’s government Russia’s confirmed attacks on the U.S. elections systems have had little effect.
“I told our Russian colleagues that their meddling in our election process had hardly had any real effect,” Bolton, traveling currently in Moscow, told a local Russian radio station, according to Reuters‘ Jeff Mason.
Bolton’s claims are demonstrably false.
No U.S. intelligence agency reportedly has investigated whether or not Russia’s attacks during the 2016 election swayed any votes, so it’s impossible for Bolton to make that claim from a factual standpoint.
It seems clear, however, Russia’s intention to sow mistrust among Americans of their institutions and distrust in the electoral system has been a profound success.
UPDATE: 3:27 PM ET –
Greg Miller, the Pulitzer prize winning National Security Correspondent for The Washington Post:
Image by Gage Skidmore via Flickr and a CC license