On Russia, Trump is incapable of looking past politics
On Russia, Trump is incapable of looking past politics
By Ruth Marcus December 30 at 1:03 PM
President-elect Donald Trump, having dismissed as “ridiculous” and “just another excuse” the conclusion by intelligence experts that Russia intervened in the election to help him win; having suggested that the culprit who hacked into the Democratic emails “could be somebody sitting in a bed someplace”; having advised, most recently, that “it’s time for our country to move on,” has “nevertheless” graciously agreed to take time out from meeting with the likes of Don King to consider the evidence implicating Russia.
Thanks Donald.
The most disturbing thing about Russia’s interference with the U.S. election — whether or not it had the desired effect — is Russia’s interference. The second most disturbing thing — and now that he is about to be president, it is a pretty close second — is Trump’s obstinate, unyielding refusal to accept the unanimous conclusion of U.S. intelligence experts that Russia was behind the hacking.
No new president wants to take office with a shadow on the legitimacy of his election (and, to be clear, I accept that Trump was elected and will be president). So Trump’s instinctive bristling at this storyline may be understandable. But Trump has been taking pains for months to dismiss reports of Russian involvement — except, of course, when he was encouraging the Russians to do even more of it.
READ MORE: https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-...
By Ruth Marcus December 30 at 1:03 PM
President-elect Donald Trump, having dismissed as “ridiculous” and “just another excuse” the conclusion by intelligence experts that Russia intervened in the election to help him win; having suggested that the culprit who hacked into the Democratic emails “could be somebody sitting in a bed someplace”; having advised, most recently, that “it’s time for our country to move on,” has “nevertheless” graciously agreed to take time out from meeting with the likes of Don King to consider the evidence implicating Russia.
Thanks Donald.
The most disturbing thing about Russia’s interference with the U.S. election — whether or not it had the desired effect — is Russia’s interference. The second most disturbing thing — and now that he is about to be president, it is a pretty close second — is Trump’s obstinate, unyielding refusal to accept the unanimous conclusion of U.S. intelligence experts that Russia was behind the hacking.
No new president wants to take office with a shadow on the legitimacy of his election (and, to be clear, I accept that Trump was elected and will be president). So Trump’s instinctive bristling at this storyline may be understandable. But Trump has been taking pains for months to dismiss reports of Russian involvement — except, of course, when he was encouraging the Russians to do even more of it.
READ MORE: https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-...
