Turns out, Russians supported more parties than just President Donald Trump’s, but who else did they back?
New reports claim the government is also interfering to help Sen. Bernie Sanders’ 2020 presidential campaign.
Sanders received the briefing about a month ago. Likewise, both the White House and lawmakers on Capitol hill underwent briefings of the attempts.
In his defense, Sanders announced that he has a rough relationship with Vladimir Putin. He claims he is an “autocratic thug” who wants to get rid of those who disagree with the Russian government.
A similar act played out in 2016 primary when the troll campaigns used social media platforms to hurt Sanders’ opposition. These “Bernie Bros” aggressively opposed then-candidate Hillary Clinton in favor of Sanders with inhumane online tactics.
The Democratic candidate was asked to disown the Bernie Bros earlier this week. In response, Sanders suggested that the campaigns might be from Russian operatives aside from his real supporters.
He reminded those in Wednesday night’s Democratic debate in Las Vegas, Nevada of the efforts back in 2016. He said the Russians are interfering in their elections to divide the American people – he stands strongly against this.
Although the possibility wouldn’t shock him, he wasn’t sure it was actually happening.
Graham Brookie, the director of the Digital Forensic Research Lab at the Atlantic Council, said the statement made matters worse. Brookie said there was no direct evidence to support this.
In a statement, Sanders bluntly claimed he didn’t care who Putin wants to be president. He then told him to stay out of American elections, or he’ll to make sure he will.
Trump on the Russian Invasion
Intelligence officials angered Trump by warning him of the Russians’ interference in his 2020 campaign earlier in the week. Moreover, Trump complained that Democrats would use the fact against him, according to five people familiar with the matter.
His anger took him to lengths like cursing his acting Intelligence Director Joseph Maguire for holding the briefing alone. Maguire formally resigned on Friday after discovering he wouldn’t be nominated for the full-time chief position
Richard Grenell, an aggressively vocal Trump supporter and an ambassador to Germany, replaced Maguire.
The recent disclosures evened the playing field because apparently, both parties are now under Russian influence.
Lessons Learned from the 2016 Election
US officials were already preparing for Russia’s interference in the 2020 election since the elaborate intervention in 2016. However, Trump is evidently refusing to acknowledge the meddling.
Researchers found that although the Russians are also helping Sanders win the nomination, the government prefers Trump overall. That said, the Kremlin’s main goal is to sow division on both sides of the political aisle.
The special counsel Robert Mueller’s office found Russian nationals and entities running a disinformation campaign to ignite political tensions. This was way back in the first attempt in 2016.
Mueller and co. said the Russians used the age-old information warfare known as the “dezinformatsiya.” The tactic was used since the Cold War, remaining an active measure tool used by Russian intelligence.
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