Media Ignoring Russian President’s Role in Trump Story, Professor Claims

Jonathan Turley, a law professor at George Washington University, stated on Wednesday that major news outlets are neglecting the Russian president’s connection to the narrative surrounding President Donald Trump. He argued that this narrative was partly driven by claims that Russia conspired with Trump to undermine former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton after the 2016 presidential election.

Tulsi Gabbard, the Director of National Intelligence, released documents detailing what she described as a “long-standing coup” against Trump, introduced to the Justice Department due to potential criminal activities. Turley criticized media coverage of these allegations, referring to it as a “pile of dogs” that overshadowed Trump’s first term.

“I think Tulsi made some good points,” Turley remarked. “We were tied up in various aspects of this during our first term, and frankly, it was a mess.” He emphasized that the media’s portrayal of a Russian conspiracy significantly influenced public perception.

He added, “This narrative wouldn’t have gained traction without the involvement of people in the media. They readily dismissed Tulsi’s evidence, echoing what occurred during Trump’s initial term. There seemed to be little interest in evidence that contradicted the narrative, especially given that it implicated high-ranking officials.”

Documents recently made public indicate that information suggesting Russian interference in the 2016 election was leaked to the Washington Post shortly after the November 2016 election. Trump has since filed a lawsuit against the Pulitzer Prize board, defending the awards given to the Washington Post and the New York Times regarding these allegations.

Additionally, reports often cite documents by former British intelligence agent Christopher Steele to bolster unverified claims that Clinton’s election loss was due to Russian meddling. In 2022, the Federal Election Commission penalized the Clinton campaign and the Democratic National Committee for their handling of these claims.

In light of Gabbard’s revelations, it was noted that senior intelligence officials had disagreements with then-CIA director John Brennan concerning Russian interference and Trump’s actions during the election.