New York Times: Trump’s Claims of No Collusion

The US president whose campaign is under a special counsel investigation for Russian interference took steps to withdraw the security clearance of former CIA Director John Brennan. “Before, during and after its now infamous meddling in our last presidential election, Russia practiced the art of shaping political events abroad through its well-honed active measures program, which employs an array of technical capabilities, information operations and old-fashioned human intelligence spycraft,” Brennan writes in an opinion essay for the New York Times. “Russian operatives and agents are well trained in the art of deception. They troll political, business and cultural waters in search of gullible or unprincipled individuals who become pliant in the hands of their Russian puppet masters.” The Russian president announced in July that he had favored an election victory for Donald Trump. Brennan maintains that Trump seeks to silence critics and end the investigation. Intelligence officials often retain security clearances to answer questions from current staff. US allies may hesitate to share security details with a divided country in disarray. – YaleGlobal