Justice Department Trumps Russian Disinformation – WSJ

Which is more likely to influence a U.S. election? A dribble of Russian propaganda in an ocean of online electioneering, or a federal law-enforcement campaign against one of the candidates?

You decide. Bear that choice in mind when analyzing the Justice Department s decision this week to jump again into the election fray with another round of warnings over Russian disinformation even as the first mail-in ballots go out.

The most striking part of the Wednesday press conference in which the department unveiled indictments against covert Russian actors was its lack of self-awareness. As if this weren t the same government agency that fed us the Trump-Russia collusion lies of 2016 (and 2017 and 2018 and 2019), an ally of an intelligence community that four years ago falsely branded reporting about Hunter Biden s laptop disinformation. Whatever the merits of this week s actions against Russians they look legit the Justice Department s failure to acknowledge it has an enormous credibility problem is almost comical.

via www.wsj.com

Kimberley Strassel