Russia. It’s always been Russia.
Don’t let them get away with it.
Because there was no TNB, I have a treat for you guys: A super-early, Secret Podcast that Sarah and I taped (in person!) yesterday. It’s a *great* show and you’re going to love it.
1. Na Zdorovye
America is not taking this Alexander Smirnov story seriously enough.
In a rational world, the revelations about Smirnov should have upended the presidential race and become a crisis for congressional Republicans. Here are the three obvious points of scandal:
(1) Russia is trying to interfere in a presidential election (again) on behalf of Donald Trump (again).
(2) Elected Republicans were told that Smirnov’s claims were unreliable, unconfirmed, and probably tainted goods. Yet they demanded the FBI give them access to them, and then they went around promoting them.
(3) It isn’t enough to say that the Russian government is trying to help Trump—it’s also the case that elected Republicans in Congress were trying to help Russia’s intelligence operation.
(If you need to catch up on the details of this convoluted story, start with Tim’s interview with Glenn Thrush from yesterday and Thrush’s reporting for the New York Times here.)
Not that anyone should be surprised. Trump owns the Republican party. Russia has a vested interest in electing Trump. Ergo, the Republican party will do whatever it can to help Russia’s intelligence operations.
One other reason not to be surprised: It’s always been about Russia.