# Washington Post: Russian propaganda effort helped spread ‘fake news’ during election, experts say **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [November 25, 2016, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/washington-post-russian-propaganda-effort-helped-spread-fake-news-during-election-experts-say/772945 "2016-11-25T03:41:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 16
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2016, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/washington-post-russian-propaganda-effort-helped-spread-fake-news-during-election-experts-say/772945/301 "2016-12-14T23:00:08Z")
I depart from hysteria on a couple of points. Did Trump know? Of course not, no way Putin would let him in on a secret plan, might as well post it on _Facebookski_. What did the DNC hacks accomplish? Not much, outside of making Panetta look like his kids should help him that 'puter. Aired some mildly soiled underwear. What it did do was stroke the paranoia and anger of Bernie people, making reconciliation all the harder. Ordinarily, wouldn’t mean shit to a tree, but this time? This squeaker? Really would only affect that popular vote thingy. Still, maybe. Does it matter? Oh, hell, yes, we may be lucky we didn’t find out something worse! Whether you are a raving Trotskyist or one of Ayn’s Vampires, _something_ has to be done! Maybe something like funding something to put America on the cutting edge of cyber-security? Like, yesterday? ---
**Author:** ![Fiveyearlurker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@Fiveyearlurker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiveyearlurker)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2016, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/washington-post-russian-propaganda-effort-helped-spread-fake-news-during-election-experts-say/772945/302 "2016-12-14T23:00:58Z")
> [@davidm](#): > > I have to wonder why Russia is so pro Republican (or at least anti Democrat) at this point. Probably more pro-elect a really unqualified person. Had the Democrats nominated whoever the Trump equivalent is among Democrats, I’m sure that the Russians would have worked that angle instead. And, now, icing on the cake, the Republican party is the party supporting Russia. Party first. Next time the Republicans try to call themselves the party of Reagan, I hope everyone points out how ashamed of his party Reagan would be. ---
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2016, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/washington-post-russian-propaganda-effort-helped-spread-fake-news-during-election-experts-say/772945/303 "2016-12-14T23:01:12Z")
> [@Okrahoma](#): > > Only one model (538’s) indicated anything like 30%. Lots of other major ones indicated percentages in the 90s. That’s why Wang ate that insect on national TV. The point stands as made. ---
**Author:** ![Okrahoma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/90db22/32.png) [@Okrahoma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Okrahoma)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2016, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/washington-post-russian-propaganda-effort-helped-spread-fake-news-during-election-experts-say/772945/304 "2016-12-15T00:04:26Z")
> **[WikiLeaks operative claims emails given by Dem insiders in D.C. park](https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4034038/Ex-British-ambassador-WikiLeaks-operative-claims-Russia-did-NOT-provide-Clinton-emails-handed-D-C-park-intermediary-disgusted-Democratic-insiders.html)** > > Craig Murray, former British ambassador and associate of Julian Assange, told the Dailymail.com he personally received Clinton campaign emails in Washington D.C. "Craig Murray, former British ambassador to Uzbekistan and a close associate of Wikileaks founder Julian Assange, told [Dailymail.com](http://Dailymail.com) that he flew to Washington, D.C. for a clandestine hand-off with one of the email sources in September. ‘Neither of [the leaks] came from the Russians,’ said Murray in an interview with [Dailymail.com](http://Dailymail.com) on Tuesday. ‘The source had legal access to the information. The documents came from inside leaks, not hacks.’" … “Murray said he was speaking out due to claims from intelligence officials that Wikileaks was given the documents by Russian hackers as part of an effort to help Donald Trump win the U.S. presidential election.” ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2016, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/washington-post-russian-propaganda-effort-helped-spread-fake-news-during-election-experts-say/772945/305 "2016-12-15T00:06:44Z")
I am now reassured that Assange’s friend is lying for him. Case closed! ---
**Author:** ![Grumman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/43a26b/32.png) [@Grumman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grumman)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2016, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/washington-post-russian-propaganda-effort-helped-spread-fake-news-during-election-experts-say/772945/306 "2016-12-15T01:01:39Z")
> [@davidm](#): > > I have to wonder why Russia is so pro Republican (or at least anti Democrat) at this point. > [@Sherrerd](#): > > You’d think more people would be wondering that. Clinton was openly stating her support for driving Russia from Syria’s skies, a plan which she admitted (to Goldman-Sachs, not to the American people) would involve bombing Syrian cities and killing Syrian civilians to destroy Syria’s air defense systems. Despite what you seem to believe, Trump doesn’t need to be a Russian lapdog to look good in comparison to that. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2016, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/washington-post-russian-propaganda-effort-helped-spread-fake-news-during-election-experts-say/772945/307 "2016-12-15T01:52:08Z")
[U.S. Officials: Putin Personally Involved in U.S. Election Hack](http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/u-s-officials-putin-personally-involved-u-s-election-hack-n696146) > [@](#): > > U.S. intelligence officials now believe with “a high level of confidence” that Russian President Vladimir Putin became personally involved in the covert Russian campaign to interfere in the U.S. presidential election, senior U.S. intelligence officials told NBC News. > > Two senior officials with direct access to the information say new intelligence shows that Putin personally directed how hacked material from Democrats was leaked and otherwise used. The intelligence came from diplomatic sources and spies working for U.S. allies, the officials said. > > Putin’s objectives were multifaceted, a high-level intelligence source told NBC News. What began as a “vendetta” against Hillary Clinton morphed into an effort to show corruption in American politics and to “split off key American allies by creating the image that [other countries] couldn’t depend on the U.S. to be a credible global leader anymore,” the official said. > > Ultimately, the CIA has assessed, the Russian government wanted to elect Donald Trump. The FBI and other agencies don’t fully endorse that view, but few officials would dispute that the Russian operation was intended to harm Clinton’s candidacy by leaking embarrassing emails about Democrats. Nothing to see here, right? Hell, it could be the Chinese. The Peruvians. Some 400 pound guy sitting in his room. That’s it - a 400 pound guy. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2016, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/washington-post-russian-propaganda-effort-helped-spread-fake-news-during-election-experts-say/772945/308 "2016-12-15T02:35:08Z")
Trump’s last press conference was 140 days ago. During that press conference he repeatedly encouraged Russia to hack Hillary’s email. [White House: Trump ‘obviously’ knew Russia hacks were benefiting him](http://www.cnn.com/2016/12/14/politics/white-house-donald-trump-russia-hacks/index.html) ---
**Author:** ![HurricaneDitka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/96bed5/32.png) [@HurricaneDitka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HurricaneDitka)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2016, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/washington-post-russian-propaganda-effort-helped-spread-fake-news-during-election-experts-say/772945/309 "2016-12-15T02:36:10Z")
And did the Russians hack Hillary’s email after that? ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2016, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/washington-post-russian-propaganda-effort-helped-spread-fake-news-during-election-experts-say/772945/310 "2016-12-15T02:44:55Z")
Technically, he asked them to release what they had. Which, with their friends @ Wikileaks, they did. ---
**Author:** ![HurricaneDitka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/96bed5/32.png) [@HurricaneDitka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HurricaneDitka)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2016, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/washington-post-russian-propaganda-effort-helped-spread-fake-news-during-election-experts-say/772945/311 "2016-12-15T02:49:22Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > Technically, he asked them to release what they had. Which, with their friends @ Wikileaks, they did. No, that’s not “technically” correct. He asked them to get something (HRC’s 33,000 deleted emails) that they did not have, and as far as we know still do not have. ---
**Author:** ![Lobohan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobohan/32/79_2.png) [@Lobohan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobohan)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2016, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/washington-post-russian-propaganda-effort-helped-spread-fake-news-during-election-experts-say/772945/312 "2016-12-15T02:56:58Z")
> [@Grumman](#): > > Clinton was openly stating her support for driving Russia from Syria’s skies, a plan which she admitted (to Goldman-Sachs, not to the American people) would involve bombing Syrian cities and killing Syrian civilians to destroy Syria’s air defense systems. Despite what you seem to believe, Trump doesn’t need to be a Russian lapdog to look good in comparison to that. Establishing a no fly zone via diplomacy. > [@Clinton](#): > > “I am well aware of the really legitimate concerns you have expressed from both the president and the general,” Clinton responded. “This would not be done just on the first day. This would take a lot of negotiation. It would also take making it clear to the Russians and the Syrians that our purpose here was to provide safe zones on the ground.” And bombing antiaircraft sites kills civilians. That’s the way the universe works for now. You need to weigh that vs. the larger objective. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2016, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/washington-post-russian-propaganda-effort-helped-spread-fake-news-during-election-experts-say/772945/313 "2016-12-15T03:00:40Z")
> [@HurricaneDitka](#): > > No, that’s not “technically” correct. He asked them to get something (HRC’s 33,000 deleted emails) that they did not have, and as far as we know still do not have. Uh-uh. You keep trying, buddy. ---
**Author:** ![Fiveyearlurker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@Fiveyearlurker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiveyearlurker)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2016, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/washington-post-russian-propaganda-effort-helped-spread-fake-news-during-election-experts-say/772945/314 "2016-12-15T03:26:42Z")
> [@HurricaneDitka](#): > > No, that’s not “technically” correct. He asked them to get something (HRC’s 33,000 deleted emails) that they did not have, and as far as we know still do not have. What a strange nitpicky hill to choose to die on. ---
**Author:** ![HurricaneDitka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/96bed5/32.png) [@HurricaneDitka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HurricaneDitka)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2016, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/washington-post-russian-propaganda-effort-helped-spread-fake-news-during-election-experts-say/772945/315 "2016-12-15T03:32:31Z")
> [@Fiveyearlurker](#): > > What a strange nitpicky hill to choose to die on. Am I mistaken? The quote I heard is “If Russia or any other country or person has Hillary Clinton’s 33,000 illegally deleted emails, perhaps they should share them with the FBI!” ---
**Author:** ![Fiveyearlurker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@Fiveyearlurker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiveyearlurker)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2016, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/washington-post-russian-propaganda-effort-helped-spread-fake-news-during-election-experts-say/772945/316 "2016-12-15T03:34:53Z")
> [@HurricaneDitka](#): > > Am I mistaken? The quote I heard is “If Russia or any other country or person has Hillary Clinton’s 33,000 illegally deleted emails, perhaps they should share them with the FBI!” No, I mean, if I encourage my neighbor to rob the bank on 5th Street and he robs the bank on 3rd Street instead, that’s like completely, totally different or something. ---
**Author:** ![Lobohan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobohan/32/79_2.png) [@Lobohan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobohan)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2016, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/washington-post-russian-propaganda-effort-helped-spread-fake-news-during-election-experts-say/772945/317 "2016-12-15T03:35:24Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > Uh-uh. You keep trying, buddy. To be fair here, Trump said: > [@Cheetoh\_Jesus](#): > > “I will tell you this, Russia: If you’re listening, I hope you’re able to find the 30,000 emails that are missing,” the Republican nominee said at a news conference in Florida. “I think you will probably be rewarded mightily by our press.” That suggests he’s saying they should get their hands on the personal emails that Clinton (reasonably) ordered her team to delete before handing the data over to the FBI, presumably by taking them from someone else who hacked them… I think HurrikaneDitka is correct on that one. Not that what Trump said is acceptable in any case. ---
**Author:** ![HurricaneDitka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/96bed5/32.png) [@HurricaneDitka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HurricaneDitka)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2016, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/washington-post-russian-propaganda-effort-helped-spread-fake-news-during-election-experts-say/772945/318 "2016-12-15T03:36:49Z")
> [@Fiveyearlurker](#): > > No, I mean, if I encourage my neighbor to rob the bank on 5th Street and he robs the bank on 3rd Street instead, that’s like completely, totally different or something. We went over this in another thread I think. It may have even been with you, I can’t recall now. Your analogy about bank robbery is nothing like the reality of what happened. It’s deeply flawed. Do you understand why or does someone need to explain it to you? ---
**Author:** ![Okrahoma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/90db22/32.png) [@Okrahoma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Okrahoma)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2016, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/washington-post-russian-propaganda-effort-helped-spread-fake-news-during-election-experts-say/772945/319 "2016-12-15T03:42:11Z")
> [@HurricaneDitka](#): > > We went over this in another thread I think. It may have even been with you, I can’t recall now. Your analogy about bank robbery is nothing like the reality of what happened. It’s deeply flawed. Do you understand why or does someone need to explain it to you? Maybe the fact that Trump’s statement was on July 27, Podesta’s phishing stupidity happened in March, and DNC emails were released by Wikileaks on July 22nd has something to do with the explanation? ---
**Author:** ![WillFarnaby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/willfarnaby/32/514_2.png) [@WillFarnaby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WillFarnaby)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2016, 10:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/washington-post-russian-propaganda-effort-helped-spread-fake-news-during-election-experts-say/772945/320 "2016-12-15T10:27:46Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > I am now reassured that Assange’s friend is lying for him. Case closed! Named ex-British ambassador - liar Anonymous CIA leakers - Truth tellers [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/washington-post-russian-propaganda-effort-helped-spread-fake-news-during-election-experts-say/772945.md?page=15) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/washington-post-russian-propaganda-effort-helped-spread-fake-news-during-election-experts-say/772945.md?page=17)