‘Russia meddled in 2016’: Trump’s own CIA Director undermines Tulsi Gabbard’s claims about election interference

Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard’s recent claims about Russian interference in the 2016 election are being challenged by statements from other Trump administration officials, including CIA Director John Ratcliffe.

According to CNN, Gabbard has suggested there was no Russian interference in the 2016 election, questioning reports that claimed Russia tried to help Donald Trump defeat Hillary Clinton. She has accused the Obama administration of creating false intelligence about Russia’s involvement in the election, though recent email leaks have exposed how Gabbard’s own office has ordered intelligence reports to be rewritten to align with Trump’s claims..

During his 2020 confirmation hearing to become Trump’s director of national intelligence, Ratcliffe clearly stated, “My views are that Russia meddled in or interfered with active measures in 2016. They interfered in 2018. They will attempt to do so in 2020. They have a goal of sowing discord, and they have been successful in sowing discord.”

Multiple Republican-led investigations confirm Russian interference

The Senate Intelligence Committee, led by Marco Rubio, released a report in 2020 that confirmed Russia’s involvement in the 2016 election. The report stated that Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered efforts to hack Democratic Party networks and leak information to harm Hillary Clinton’s campaign.

Similarly, the House Intelligence Committee’s 2018 report, written by Republicans, confirmed that Russia began a covert influence campaign aimed at the U.S. presidential election in 2015. The report stated that the Russian government, under Putin’s direction, tried to create discord in American society.

Former Florida congressman Mike Waltz, who is Trump’s nominee for United Nations ambassador, has previously emphasized the importance of distinguishing between claims of “no collusion” and Russian interference. He stressed that Russia was “attacking our constitutional system and our electoral system.”

Gabbard’s recent statements appear to contradict these findings by suggesting that reports of Russian interference were manufactured, raising further questions about her credibility and controversial appointment to the intelligence position. However, it’s important to note that the document she cited only addressed Russia’s impact on election infrastructure and vote counting, not the broader interference campaign that multiple investigations have confirmed.

Just before Gabbard’s recent claims, Ratcliffe released a report that supported the initial intelligence assessment’s findings, praising its “analytical rigor.” This latest development adds to the growing conflict between Gabbard’s position and the documented conclusions of multiple Trump administration officials and Republican-led investigations.