NPR

Anticipating A Russian Attack On The 2018 Election: What If Trump Is Right?

The president goes back and forth about what he accepts and denies about Russian election interference. Even so, his recent warning about an attack that helps Democrats is a cogent one.
A woman casts her vote at a polling station inside the Alhambra Fire Department in Alhambra, Los Angeles County, California on June 5, 2018.

What if, this time around, a wave of foreign interference is aimed at helping Democrats take control of Congress?

It's an idea that has been batted around a great deal since 2016 based on the thesis that Russian President Vladimir Putin doesn't actually care about either party. What he wants is chaos, strife, deadlock and a corrosion of faith in U.S. political institutions.

To that end, what better way to bring about another upheaval than by trying to whipsaw the political balance from Trump and Republicans to the putative return two years later of a House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and her Democrats?

President Trump sounded that warning last week on Twitter. What if he's right?

and the West never stopped after 2016, as the intelligence

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from NPR

NPR4 min read
Which Scientists Get Mentioned In The News? Mostly Ones With Anglo Names, Says Study
A new study finds that in news stories about scientific research, U.S. media were less likely to mention a scientist if they had an East Asian or African name, as compared to one with an Anglo name.
NPR2 min readWorld
Israel Strikes Iran, U.S. Official Says; Taylor Swift's 'Tortured Poets' Is Here
Israel has launched a strike against Iran, a U.S. official tells NPR. Taylor Swift's highly anticipated "Tortured Poets Department" is here.
NPR2 min read
Tesla Recalls Cybertruck Over Sticky Problem. Blame It On — Yes — Soap
Accelerator pedals on the new Cybertrucks can get stuck, a potentially dangerous production flaw. The reason why they're so sticky is soap.

Related Books & Audiobooks