'The intelligence doesn't say that': New CNN report casts doubt on briefing to Congress alleging Russian interference to help Trump

Greg P. | 3:52 PM on February 23, 2020

This is HUGE news.

CNN is reporting that the briefing by intelligence official Shelby Pierson that said Russia will try to aid President Trump in the 2020 election “appears to have overstated the Intel community’s assessment of 2020 Russian interference, omitting important nuance during a briefing with lawmakers”:

US Intel official Shelby Pierson appears to have overstated the Intel community's assessment of 2020 Russian interference, omitting important nuance during a briefing with lawmakers, 3 national security officials tell me, @jaketapper & @ZcohenCNN https://t.co/WVs9ZnH3DT

— Jeremy Diamond (@JDiamond1) February 23, 2020

Which mean every story you read last week about Russia trying to help re-elect President Trump was total BS:

The intel community has assessed Russia is interfering in the 2020 election & has separately assessed that Russia views Trump as a leader they can work with.
But the US doesn't have evidence that Russia's interference this cycle is aimed at reelecting Trump, the officials said. https://t.co/OQKaj2IJE0

— Jeremy Diamond (@JDiamond1) February 23, 2020

More from CNN:

The US intelligence community’s top election security official appears to have overstated the intelligence community’s formal assessment of Russian interference in the 2020 election, omitting important nuance during a briefing with lawmakers earlier this month, three national security officials told CNN.

The official, Shelby Pierson, told lawmakers on the House Intelligence Committee that Russia is interfering in the 2020 election with the goal of helping President Donald Trump get reelected.
The US intelligence community has assessed that Russia is interfering in the 2020 election and has separately assessed that Russia views Trump as a leader they can work with. But the US does not have evidence that Russia’s interference this cycle is aimed at reelecting Trump, the officials said.

“The intelligence doesn’t say that,” one senior national security official told CNN. “A more reasonable interpretation of the intelligence is not that they have a preference, it’s a step short of that. It’s more that they understand the President is someone they can work with, he’s a dealmaker.”