Trump Administration Media Briefing

On August 2, 2018, in a media briefing at the White House, the Trump Administration launched an effort to convince the public that the Administration has a program designed to protect future American elections from Russian interference. The participants included Trump appointees

  • Dan Coates, Director of National Intelligence,
  • Kristen Nielsen, Secretary of Homeland Security,
  • Christopher Wray, Director of the F.B.I. and
  • John Bolton, National Security Advisor to the President.

The briefing was held in response to an avalanche of criticism about a meeting of the National Security Council (NSC) held six days earlier. In that meeting the NSC addressed, for the first time during the Trump Administration, protection of future American elections, but no strategy was adopted and no leader of the effort was named.

Important questions:
  1. Why the 18 month delay by the National Security Council in even discussing the issue of Russian interference in future elections?
  2. Will the Administration commit to enforce all of the Obama-era and congressional sanctions on Russia?
  3. Has the Administration provided Russia with explicit details of the severe punishment the U.S. will inflict on Russia and its leaders if they attack our elections again?

Unfortunately, the apparent answers to these questions do not protect us. And unfortunately, the answers can all be explained by a BRIBE.