The American capital Washington is again occupied with the controversy of Russian interference in the American elections after media outlets revealed that American intelligence services have warned that Russia is trying to help President Donald Trump in his re-election as President of the United States in the October 3 elections. The next second.
The New York Times and The Washington Post quoted US officials as saying that these warnings were contained in a secret briefing given to the Intelligence Committee in the US House of Representatives this February.
For his part, US President Donald Trump scolded the outgoing Director of National Intelligence, Joseph Maguire, when he discovered that Shelby Pearson, who is in charge of election security, had revealed to lawmakers in Congress that Russia was interfering in the 2020 election campaign.
According to three officials familiar with the closed briefing held on February 13, what bothered Trump more than anything else on this issue is the presence of Representative Adam Schiff, head of the House Intelligence Committee who led the campaign to isolate President Trump in December 2019, What Trump considers his first opponent. A senior administration official (told the two newspapers) that one of the reasons for Trump´s anger is also the possibility that Democrats might use this information against him. And not informing him of the advance notice.
Representative Schiff later tweeted that if Trump had "interfered" in any way with the circulation of information between US intelligence agencies and Congress regarding foreign interference in the election process, this "posed a threat" to attempts to stop such interference.
During the session, intelligence officials warned lawmakers that Russia was already meddling in the 2020 election campaign in favor of President Trump´s re-election.
During a briefing to the House Intelligence Committee, Trump´s allies countered these conclusions, arguing that he was tough on Russia and that he had strengthened European security.
Although intelligence officials previously told lawmakers that the Russian intervention campaign was continuing, last week´s briefing included what appeared to be new information, stating that Russia intended to interfere in the Democrats´ 2020 primaries as well as the general elections.
On Wednesday, February 19, 2020, Trump announced that he had decided to replace Director of National Intelligence Joseph Maguire, Richard Grignell, America´s ambassador to Germany, and he is a staunch supporter of Trump. While some linked this move to the House’s benefit, others said it was a coincidence.
The spokeswoman for my office, director of national intelligence and electoral security, declined to comment, while an immediate response from the White House on the matter could not be obtained, according to the New York Times.
A House of Representatives intelligence committee official described the February 13 briefing as an important summary of "the integrity of our upcoming elections." He said members of both parties attended the briefing, including Rep. Devin Nunez of California, the top Republican on the committee, who immediately informed the president about what happened.
For a long time, President Trump has described the intelligence services ’assessment of Russia’s interference in the 2016 elections as part of a conspiracy aimed at undermining his election power. This matter has become a political issue and an investigation subject of the Ministry of Justice.
It is noteworthy that Trump was acquitted on April 18, 2019 of the charge of Russia´s involvement in his election and conspiracy with her in the 2016 elections, after political and material investigations that lasted for more than two years under the auspices of Special Investigator Robert Muller, and on January 29, 2020, he was acquitted of two charges of misuse Authority and the disruption of Congress, in the Senate after two weeks of trial in the Republican-controlled Senate, following his removal in the House of Representatives on December 19, 2019.
Maguire was a favorite candidate for the position of permanent national intelligence director, (according to The Washington Post), but Trump changed his mind after learning about the briefing, and what he described as "betrayal."
Trump announced earlier this week that the American ambassador to Germany, Richard Grinnell, known for his loyalty to Trump, could replace Maguire.
Two officials from the Trump administration told the New York Times that Maguire´s replacement so quickly after the briefing was a coincidence.
US intelligence officials claim that Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential election to support the Trump campaign and cause chaos in the US electoral process.
Democratic lawmakers criticized President Trump´s decision to appoint Grignel, who had downplayed Russian interference in the recent elections.
Ned Price, an adviser to former US President Barack Obama, said President Trump "has revealed that he does not have any respect for US intelligence services."
"He appoints an American ambassador who is known for his categorical political orientation in a position that is assumed to be the least politically and highly sensitive to politics," he tweeted.
