'Trump was right and it was all fake news': Sounds like that whole 'Russian bounties' narrative just imploded

Hey, so, remember that whole story about Russia putting bounties on American troops heads in Afghanistan? And all while Donald Trump looked the other way because of his adoration for Vladimir Putin?

It was a big deal. A scandal. Possibly treason, even.

Well, it’s been a while since we last heard about it. Maybe this is why:

NEW: U.S. intel walks back blockbuster 'Russian bounties' claim https://t.co/jtPzfALH1L

— Noah Shachtman (@NoahShachtman) April 15, 2021

Oopsie:

But on Thursday, the Biden administration announced that U.S. intelligence only had “low to moderate” confidence in the story after all. Translated from the jargon of spyworld, that means the intelligence agencies have found the story is, at best, unproven—and possibly untrue.

“The United States intelligence community assesses with low to moderate confidence that Russian intelligence officers sought to encourage Taliban attacks U.S. and coalition personnel in Afghanistan in 2019 and perhaps earlier,” a senior administration official said.

Kinda deflates the scandal balloon, doesn’t it?

Trump was right and it was all fake news.

Patiently waiting for the media who breathlessly pushed this crap to all issue corrections. LOLhttps://t.co/Id1PeAF4jd pic.twitter.com/n2oJ9E38pI

— Watchdog (@LibWatchdog) April 15, 2021

Speaking of breath, don’t hold yours. Media were really heavily invested in this thing:

There are too many of these to choose from pic.twitter.com/kupkALx5OG

— MicDre (@DreMicDre) April 15, 2021

But Democrats ran with the election-time story. Then-candidate Biden called it a “horrifying revelation” if true. The senior Democrat on the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee, Robert Menendez (D-NJ), introduced a measure to sanction Russia for the alleged bounties. Congressional Democrats claimed to have been insufficiently briefed on the account, which the Trump White House called a “hoax,” and suggested there was a cover-up underway. When Trump himself denied being briefed on the story, House intelligence committee chairman Adam Schiff (D-CA) remarked, “Is this an issue where they cannot tell the president things he doesn’t want to hear when it comes to Vladimir Putin and Russia?”

Added House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) in June, “I think we knew the White House perspective, what we need to know is the intelligence perspective.” Now he knows.

And who could forget this one?

Donald Trump: No one is tougher on Russia.

Me: You haven’t called out Putin for 129 days on his reported bounty program. Shall I go on?

— Tammy Duckworth (@SenDuckworth) November 2, 2020

And now, here we are. Another narrative that was accepted and shared by our Guardians of Truth because it made Donald Trump look bad turned out to be bogus.

Oooh, you mean the made up thing was a made up thing?

Shocker! https://t.co/RQpvnFKKri

— Melissa Mackenzie (@MelissaTweets) April 15, 2021

This has basically been debunked for months… But the Left still believes it. https://t.co/R28dJPhd1v

— Pradheep J. Shanker (@Neoavatara) April 15, 2021

The Russian bounty story has become entrenched in the psyche of the 'resistance' and they will continue to believe and repeat it regardless of any evidence to the contrary.

— PhotographicFloridian (@JackLinFLL) April 15, 2021

Another story we find out the truth months later. At this rate they’ll reverse the election result in June.

Please don’t ban me, that was a joke.

For reference: https://t.co/wo36A9y70j pic.twitter.com/Pnau4acw31

— Dave Rubin (@RubinReport) April 15, 2021

Editor’s note: This post has been updated with additional tweets.