Considerable cause for concern

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The same U.S. intelligence agencies recently praised by President Trump for identifying terrorist threats in Russia have found extensive evidence of Russian election interference ordered by Vladimir Putin. In June 2016, Trump campaign figures met with Russians to obtain dirt against Hillary Clinton. Russian agents purchased hundreds of fake election ads on social media and Russian bots generated thousands of fake emails all attacking Clinton that were viewed by millions in the U.S. Trump advisers had extensive communications with WikiLeaks, which dumped DNC emails stolen and “weaponized” by Russia with strategic timing. Russians penetrated election systems in 21 states. After Trump won, Putin assessed his “active measures” as “more than worth the effort.”

In December 2016, Trump transition adviser KT McFarland emailed Michael Flynn that new U.S. sanctions were troubling for Trump because Russia “has just thrown (the) U.S.A. election to him.” In May after firing James Comey, Trump boasted to Russians in the Oval Office that he had “ended that Russia thing.” Then Trump unsuccessfully tried to return two confiscated spy compounds to Russia’s control with “full diplomatic protection” from U.S. surveillance!

In November, Trump quietly established a no-bid contract with a Russian firm run by a former KGB agent to provide “security” at the U.S. embassy in Moscow. Does Donald Trump owe Russia more than just money? If someone is not concerned about all this, perhaps they are living in the wrong country.

Scott McLaughlin, Midwest City