DHS withheld publication of intelligence bulletin warning of Russian scheme to push “allegations about the poor mental health” of Joe Biden, per emails and document draft obtained by ABC. jonkarl has the full story coming up on GMA.
The draft bulletin, titled “Russia Likely to Denigrate Health of US Candidates to Influence 2020 Election,” was submitted to the agency’s legislative and public affairs office’s for review on July 7. The analysis was not meant for public consumption, but it was set to be distributed to federal, state and local law enforcement partners two days later, on July 9, the emails show.
In a statement to ABC News, a DHS spokesperson confirmed that the product was “delayed,” explaining that it failed to meet the agency’s standards. As an example of Russian efforts to raise doubts about Biden's mental acuity, the draft bulletin points to a March story on a Russian proxy website that"refuted media claims that the candidate’s gaffes are a result of a stutter, instead arguing these verbal miscues are symptoms of dementia.”
“There’s no question that the President has been tougher on Russia than any president before him, imposing sanctions and expelling diplomats, in contrast to the Obama-Biden Administration, which choked in the face of Russian interference,” he said. “President Trump will beat Joe Biden fair and square.
In June the Trump campaign ran a brutal television ad titled"Fortitude" that worked to paint a dire picture of Biden’s mental state. “He is blocking the intelligence community from sharing with federal and state law enforcement a crucial finding: that Russia is disseminating false and scurrilous attacks on the health of Joe Biden -- one that aligns with Trump's own constantly-backfiring attacks,” Bates added. “And why would he do this? Because Russia and the Trump campaign are speaking from the same script of smears and lies.
Trump later disputed that finding, claiming that “the last person Russia wants to see in office is Donald Trump, because nobody’s been tougher on Russia than I have, ever.” Democrats fired back, calling Ratcliffe’s decision “a shocking abdication of its lawful responsibility to keep the Congress currently informed, and a betrayal of the public's right to know how foreign powers are trying to subvert our democracy.”
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