Raising the specter of election meddling in the upcoming Midterm election, 69-year-old National Security Adviser John Bolton thinks that Russia’s not the only country trying to influence U.S. elections. Bolton warned of attempted meddling from China, North Korea and Iran. Interviewed in Jerusalem, Bolton told ABC News Global Affairs Correspondent Martha Raddatz on “This Week” that he expected some meddling from countries other than Russia. U.S. intel agencies concluded in 2017 that Russia meddled in the 2016 presidential election, favoring Trump. But what the National Intelligence Assessment couldn’t say was the extent of Russian meddling or whether it translated into even one vote. If you believe the National Intelitence Assessment you’d have to believe that Russian meddling only counted in the battleground states of Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Florida.
With former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton winning nearly 3 million more popular votes than Trump Nov. 8, 2016, the National Intelligence Assessment would have you believe that Russia influenced voters in only battleground states. “I can say definitively that it’s a sufficient national security concern about Chinese meddling, Iranian meddling and North Korean meddling that were taking steps to try to prevent it, so it’s all four of those countries, really,.” Bolton told Raddatz at Jerusalem’s King David Hotel. Bolton’s remarks reflect the unhappy truth that meddling has been going on by foreign governments in most U.S. elections since the Cold War, if not before. Whether foreign government propaganda campaigns translate into votes is anyone’s guess. There’s zero evidence that shows that foreign propaganda campaigns actually skewed votes one way or another.
Bolton’s statements about other foreign players tell very little about the effect of foreign government propaganda campaigns. ”I have full faith and support in intel community’s conclusion on Russian election meddling, but adds ‘could be other people also,’” said Trump. Whether other governments meddle in the U.S. elections doesn’t say whether calculated foreign disinformation or propaganda campaigns actually sway voters. Meddling itself does not indicate an attempt by a foreign government to influence U.S. voters or actually works. When you consider Hillary won nearly 3 million more popular votes than Trump, you’d have to believe that Russian meddling only worked on voters in battleground states. Any assertion to that effect is pure madness. “But have you seen anything in the past specifically to China/” Raddatz asked Bolton. Bolton evaded Raddatz’s question.
Bolton can’t say for sure that foreign propaganda campaigns influence U.S. voters, certainly not tampering with electronic voting machines. “I’m not going to get into that—what I’ve seen or haven’t seen, but I’m telling you, looking at the 2016 election, those are the four countries that we’re most concerned about,” saying something but actually nothing. Bolton raises the specter of foreign interference to discount what Russian did or didn’t do in the 2016 election. Russian President Vladimir Putin has said recently that everything that came from hacking was factual. That certainly sounds like he’s admitting that Russian hacking pulled the rug out from underneath Hillary’s campaign. Alleged Russian hacking exposed the Democratic National Committee [DNC] for sabotaging the campaign of Hillary’s chief rival, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and giving Hillary CNN’s debate question in advance.
Special Counsel Robert Mueler’s supposed to be investigating whether or not the Trump campaign colluded with the Kremlin. When Trump asked facetiously July 27, 2016 at a Mar a Lago, Florida press conference whether Russia could find Hillary’s 33,000 missing emails, the media went wild. After over 15 months of investigation, Mueller has found no evidence that Trump colluded with the Kremlin. It’s entirely possible that Putin had a personal vendetta with Hillary for interfering in his 2012 re-electon. Hillary, while Secretary of State, caused riots in the streets of Moscow accusing Putin of rigging the election. Hacking the DNC or Hillary’s Campaign Chairman John Podesta’s emails could have been political payback. Putin had the motive and opportunity to get back at Hillary for accusing him of election fraud. Blaming the hacks on Trump’s Russian collusion isn’t backed by the facts.
Telling the public that China, North Korea or Iran could be involved in meddling says almost nothing. There’s zero proof today that Russian meddling swayed one vote in the 2016 election. Whether admitted to or not, all countries seek to influence each others’elections.or even more mundane foreign policy issues. Foreign diplomats routinely publish commentary in domestic newspapers or speak on radio and TV talks shows to influence U.S. public opinion. Trying to meddle or influence public opinion doesn’t mean that it translates in votes. Instead of diverting attention to China, North Korea or Iran, Trump and Bolton would be better off telling the truth about meddling: It happens all the time and doesn’t necessarily impact voters. No one believes that China, North Korea or Iran hacked the DNC or Podesta’s emails. Judging by Hillary’s 3 million more votes than Trump, Russian meddling didn’t work.
