DISINFO: No evidence of Russian interference in 2016 US election
SUMMARY
Hillary Clinton has repeatedly laid responsibility for her defeat in the 2016 presidential election on “Russian interference” that helped her opponent. Her claims have never been corroborated by any evidence. Additionally, in April 2019 Special Counsel Robert Mueller stated that he had found insubstantial evidence to prove that Trump had colluded with the Kremlin.
RESPONSE
Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation denying Russian interference in the 2016 US presidential election in particular, and whitewashing the Kremlin's meddling in Western democratic processes generally. Available evidence suggests that Russian meddling the 2016 US presidential poll - which specifically aimed to damage Clinton's campaign and aid her opponent - did affect the outcome of the vote, particularly in three critical swing states where Trump's victory margins were the thinnest. The claim that the Special Counsel report provides no evidence of Trump-Russia collusion is spurious. Gathering evidence of "collusion" - which is not a legal concept - fell outside the scope of the investigation. The aim of the probe was not merely to ascertain contacts between the Trump campaign and Russia-linked individuals during the election period, but to establish whether these interactions were deliberate enough on the part of Trump Campaign officials to sustain charges of conspiracy (p. 2). The report explicitly identifies "numerous links between individuals with ties to the Russian government and individuals associated with the Trump Campaign" (p. 9).