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The story about the Russian bounty was reported by NYT/WashPo/WSJ. That doesn't mean it's certainly true. But it does mean that very credible people in US intelligence service are angry and alarmed. Angry and alarmed enough to provide evidence to three leading media sources. 1/x
Now let's look to the denials. Former DNI Richard Grenell said he never "heard" of the bounties. Current DNI Ratcliffe has tweeted from his official account that he never "briefed" the president. Trump likewise denies that he was "briefed." 2/x https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1277202159109537793
Noteworthy: no denials of the Russia bounty story from Pentagon or CIA or from National Security Adviser O'Brien. 3/x
Not even Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has hazarded his crumbling reputation in support of the president's denials, not yet anyway. 4/x
Yet it's also not impossible that Grenell, Ratcliffe, and Trump are telling a version of the truth - that the information was withheld from Trump by briefers who have learned not to upset him ... and that Grenell during his tenure at ODNI was simply not doing the work. 5/x
The core of the problem is that the greatest security risk in the history of the United States is the current president of the United States. https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2018/07/putin-trump/565604/ 6/x
So here we are. END
PS This Russia-bounty story confirms why Congress is abundantly acting within its oversight mission to subpoena Trump's business records. Does Trump owe money to Russian persons is an urgent national security question. https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/03/mazars-lawsuit/607540/
