"Write off to an external enemy": why the American media are again talking about Russia's interference in US elections

Russia will intervene in the 2020 US presidential election to help re-elect Donald Trump. This is reported by American media with reference to US intelligence. The New York Times and The Washington Post were the first to make such a statement, citing "anonymous sources" in Congress. Later, The Associated Press reported the same message, citing its "sources."

According to media reports, at a February 13 briefing, congressmen were informed of the “ongoing campaign of Russia” to interfere in the upcoming presidential elections and the primaries of the Democratic Party.

The elements of this campaign, claimed a spokesman for intelligence services, were cyber attacks, the spread of misinformation through social networks, as well as "attacks on the electoral infrastructure."

Washington believes that Russia allegedly seeks issues that cause controversy in the United States, and uses various methods to split American society, The New York Times notes.

The material also says that Republicans in the Congressional Intelligence Committee challenged statements by intelligence officials, noting the strict sanctions policy of the Trump administration towards Moscow.

According to reporters, the day after the briefing, Trump reprimanded acting head of U.S. intelligence Joseph Maguire for the fact that the event was held by his immediate subordinate, who again raised Trump's painful topic of Russian interference in the presidential election. It is also reported that the head of the White House was extremely dissatisfied with the presence at the briefing of Congressman Democrat Adam Schiff, one of the main initiators of the impeachment proceedings against the US president.

Recall, February 20, Donald Trump announced that instead of Joseph Maguire, the new acting director of the National Intelligence of the country will be the US ambassador to Germany, Richard Grenell. In his post, Maguire worked for only six months. The office of the Director of National Intelligence of the United States coordinates the work of all 17 US intelligence agencies.

Trump himself called the media reports a disinformation campaign, simultaneously criticizing the Democratic Party for poorly conducted primaries in Iowa.

Another misinformation campaign is being launched by Democrats in Congress saying that Russia prefers me to any of the Do Nothing Democrat candidates who still have been unable to, after two weeks, count their votes in Iowa. Hoax number 7!

"Democrats in Congress are launching another disinformation campaign, claiming that I am preferable to Russia than any of the candidates from doing nothing Democrats who still, after two weeks have not been able to count the votes in Iowa," wrote US president on his Twitter.

United front

It is worth noting that, despite the fact that The New York Times reports were based on evidence from "anonymous sources", leading US media rushed to replicate the message about a new "interference" on the part of Russia as a fait accompli.

"American lawmakers have been warned that Russia will interfere in the election so that Trump is elected for a second term," the New York Times entitled her material.

• © CNN

"Russia is committed to helping Trump win the 2020 election, an election security expert told US lawmakers," CNN wrote.

• © The Verge

"Russia is interfering in the 2020 election race to help Trump, U.S. intelligence officials say," The Verge portal reprinted this news with such a sensational statement.

Some U.S. media have spread this information with even louder headlines.

“Russian President Vladimir Putin supports Trump and is already interfering in the election,” wrote Raw Story news portal.

However, some journalists nevertheless indicated in their materials that the information is anecdotal evidence from other publications.

"Media: The US National Intelligence Agency has warned members of the House of Representatives that Russia is trying to help Trump get elected for a second term," wrote, for example, the British newspaper The Guardian.

• © The Guardian

Konstantin Blokhin, an expert at the Center for Security Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, said in a conversation with RT that the reaction of American media to such a news event was predictable.

“Trump quarreled with the media long before his presidency, and they just hate him. But precisely for this reason, he received the support of the common population, an ordinary one-story rural America. These media are tools in the hands of global capital. Trump is trying to return this capital back to America and make it national. So this game is motivated by personal hatred of Trump and the interests of global capital, ”the expert said.

Political analyst Alexander Asafov, in turn, suggested that in this way the American establishment is trying to discredit Trump, using the proven theme of “Russian interference” in the election.

“And if the explanation about“ Russian intervention ”worked the last time, although it was absolutely unproven, this time it will be used again. This gives rise to new attacks on Trump. This is a media show in the framework of the election campaign in order to hit the competitor’s reputation and lower his rating, ”the political scientist believes.

Unproven intervention

Recall that the American intelligence services are incriminating Russia with alleged attempts to interfere in the 2016 presidential election, as a result of which Donald Trump defeated Hillary Clinton.

• Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump
• AFP
• © Mikhail Klimentyev

In 2017, an investigation was launched by special prosecutor Robert Muller about the relationship of the campaign headquarters of Donald Trump with the Kremlin. In April 2019, a final report was published with the results of the investigation, which stated that the special prosecutor and his team did not find evidence of a conspiracy between Trump and Russia. As the Russian Foreign Ministry emphasized, the report also has no arguments in support of the theory of any “interference” of Moscow in the elections in principle.

Despite the final conclusion of Muller's report, as well as the lack of clear evidence from U.S. intelligence, the vast majority of U.S. media and politicians continue to spread the allegation that Russia interfered in the 2016 elections.

The current media reports about yet another “interference” from Russia were immediately commented on by Democrat politicians who stood for election in the 2020 elections. So, former US Vice President Joe Biden, at a meeting with voters in a CNN studio, said he was "not surprised" by the information that appeared and "guaranteed that they (Russia. - RT ) were involved in this."

Another candidate, Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren, said Russia’s "interference" in the US election was a "threat to the national security" of the country and indirectly accused the Republicans of not opposing this "interference."

There is nothing surprising in the new wave of accusations against Russia from the Democrats, Konstantin Blokhin believes.

“Obviously, the Democrats cannot reconcile with their defeats: the impeachment process did not take place, Mueller’s report turned out to be a soap bubble, and Trump is strengthening his position, while the Democratic Party has a leadership crisis. Therefore, they are trying with one blow to kill two birds with one stone: to tie Russia to Trump, and to demonize Russia in domestic political discourse within the United States. It is clear that if something does not work out, it is always better to blame it on the external enemy, ”the expert explained.

Alexander Asafov, in turn, noted that such statements by American intelligence and the media are directly related to the upcoming presidential election and the lack of a strong candidate for the Democratic Party who could stand up to Trump.

“Of course, this is due to the problems of the Democrats on the main candidate. After all, there is also an element of justification in this. After losing the election, it will be possible to say that Trump didn’t win unfairly, not by himself, but with the support of foreign intelligence services and at least demand a broad discussion of this topic or even a review of the election results, ”the political scientist concluded.