If you spend any time on Twitter, and we know you do, you’ll note there’s always someone who responds to any pro-Trump post by bringing up those alleged bounties on U.S. troops in Afghanistan paid for by Russia. Why isn’t the mainstream media leading every night with this story?
The usual suspects — Democrats and the mainstream media — ate it up, with Speaker Nancy Pelosi calling the report “shocking” and Sen. Tammy Duckworth calling the intel “very credible.” The Federalist’s Mollie Hemingway reminded us that Intelligence Committee Chair Adam Schiff apparently had that “very credible” evidence back in February and “told no one, did nothing.”
It’s been two months since the New York Times’ bombshell report, and NBC News is here to report that the top general in Afghanistan is still looking for evidence that the story’s true — he just hasn’t found any yet.
2 months after top Pentagon officials vowed to get to the bottom of whether the Russian gov't bribed Taliban to kill US service members, the commander in the region says a review of the intel has not been able to corroborate the existence of such a program https://t.co/RaiUV2XtHr
— NBC News (@NBCNews) September 14, 2020
“It just has not been proved to a level of certainty that satisfies me,” Gen. Frank McKenzie, commander of the U.S. Central Command, told NBC News. McKenzie oversees U.S. troops in Afghanistan. The U.S. continues to hunt for new information on the matter, he said.
“We continue to look for that evidence,” the general said. “I just haven’t seen it yet. But … it’s not a closed issue.”
McKenzie’s comments, reflecting a consensus view among military leaders, underscores the lack of certainty around a narrative that has been accepted as fact by Democrats and other Trump critics, including presidential nominee Joe Biden, who has cited Russian bounties in attacks on President Donald Trump.
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Very telling that an outlet like NBC News would call the story a “narrative.”
Dems & media don't care because they got 8 weeks of BS narrative out of it. https://t.co/LBxbjVyQSY
— Doug Powers (@ThePowersThatBe) September 15, 2020
So are you going to issue as many retractions as the breathless stories you had covering this fraud? Your credibility is at zero.
— Fonzi (@DrunkJedi1) September 15, 2020
Even the CIA refused to confirm it when the story first came out. Everyone in intelligence knew it was bullshit.
— Nasubi Brain (@PromThesis) September 14, 2020
I'm sure @SenDuckworth will have something to say about this.
— God is not for profit (@fedup551) September 14, 2020
No shit…
You guys latched onto this narrative in the most desperate of ways.
— Patriot Covfefe (@zoochum) September 14, 2020
it's cool, nobody bought it in the first place. thanks for the stenography in the first place though – I didn't find a single spelling error!
— Juan Nada (@ChefGuevara_) September 14, 2020
Ah I see, so the media lied.
— Biden supporters peacefully fired at cops (@TonesHyus) September 14, 2020
Like clockwork.
— Ranjit Singh (@AuthorSingh) September 15, 2020
Maybe the New York Times’ sources will come forward at last with this latest challenge to their integrity.
I’ve always wondered why anyone would believe the Talaban would need money as an incentive to kill our troops. Never made sense.
— doeh (@daryst1) September 15, 2020
Maybe because it's a waste of money to pay people for something they do for free. ?
— Patrick (@xPMLx) September 14, 2020
Funny how that wasn’t the lead for the @NBCNightlyNews broadcast…
— SaltyOldGoat (@SaltyOldGoat1) September 15, 2020
?? We knew it was #FakeNews from the word go.
How come you clowns can never figure it out until after the damage is already done? Every time.
— Patrick Henningsen (@21WIRE) September 15, 2020
The damage is the point.
This is my surprised face. pic.twitter.com/B0qMgReeWm
— MiddleSide (@LTsideVsDKside) September 14, 2020
When I was in Afghanistan it was common for bounties to be placed on specific soldiers or units who pissed off the Taliban. The claim that these bounties were somehow backed by the Russian government was silly. But it gave the Dems an excuse to be pro-war to oppose Trump.
— Douglas MechArthur ??TRUMP²⁰²⁰ (@Kicksbuttson) September 14, 2020
@JoeBiden is still spewing this BS lie!
— Gigi (@gigi_texan) September 14, 2020
CIA has refused to confirm it. When the Intelligence Agency that actually would know what’s going on in a particular region refuses to confirm, you should take the hint. Same thing with Russiagate & NSA. When our digital spies refuse to confirm a foreign digital crime, listen.
— Nasubi Brain (@PromThesis) September 14, 2020
Another #NothingBurger sham.
— Rachel AP ?? (@Aprapl) September 14, 2020
Meaning….. another "collusion" story hyped up by a bias media as a hit piece to get their candidate voted into office but fails again. No follow up coverage though on the stories they have told that turned out "their" party was doing the "wrong doings".
— walrusvision0001 (@walrusvsion0001) September 14, 2020
So, you will lead the nightly news with this, yes? NBC, MSNBC? Both?
— Jim (@Ifitsthisname) September 14, 2020
Maddow will be all over this.
Related:
Sen. Tammy Duckworth calls intel on Russian bounties ‘very credible’; Richard Grenell calls her out https://t.co/5fZIJMGtjp
— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) July 30, 2020
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