More Unwanted Truths: Trump & Putin

The NY Times is reporting today that the intelligence community—after two Trump terminations—ultimately softened a Key Judgment in its National Intelligence Estimate to avoid upsetting the president. Prior to its revision, the judgment was “that in the 2020 election, Russia favored the current president: Donald Trump.” In its final version, the document avoided an explanation of Russia’s intent: "The softening of Key Judgment 2 signified a sobering new development of the Trump era: the intelligence community’s willingness to change what it would otherwise say straightforwardly so as not to upset the president.

Let's be clear: Of course Putin wants Trump to win. They’re both vested in the advancing the same shared projects: Abdication of American leadership abroad; enabling Russia’s malign interference; advocacy of “traditional” values; and the dismantling of international human rights protections for everybody that isn't onboard.