Barack Obama in A Very Stable Genius


On Government Reform: 2016: sanctions against Russia for election interference

In Dec. 2016, CNN broke a news story: "White House announces retaliation against Russia." The Obama administration had decided to punish Russia for interfering in the 2016 election, shuttering two Russian compounds in the US and ejecting 35 diplomats accused of spying.

Trump was angry when he heard the news. He felt it was one thing for Clinton's advisors and allies to accuse Russia of meddling in the election; he could just accuse the Democrats of sour grapes. But retaliatory action against Russia by the US government effectively confirmed that Russia had interfered in the election--and that, Trump believed, raised doubts about his own victory.

Trump was piqued that the Obama administration was sticking his team with an aggressive slap at Russia--a significant foreign policy move--without so much as consulting him. Obama had signed the sanctions order with plans to announce it, but a few news outlets [leaked the story] that some retaliation against Russia was expected soon.

Source: A Very Stable Genius, by P.Rucker & C.Leonnig, p. 21 Jan 21, 2020

The above quotations are from A Very Stable Genius
Donald J. Trump's Testing of America

by Philip Rucker & Carol Leonnig
.
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Donald J. Trump's Testing of America

by Philip Rucker & Carol Leonnig
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Page last updated: Apr 26, 2021