Homeland security chief Wolf withheld intel bulletin warning Russia plan to smear Biden health
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The Department of Homeland Security held back on releasing an intelligence warning to law enforcement agencies that Russia was pushing out political attacks on Democrat Joe Biden’s mental health – a line that President Trump himself has promoted, it was revealed Wednesday.
After receipt of the bulletin citing ‘allegations about the poor mental health’ of Biden, a senior aide advised to withhold its release pending review by DHS head Chad Wolf, who is serving in an acting capacity. He is now Trump’s nominee to lead the agency but lacks Senate confirmation.
The draft bulletin being circulated was titled: ‘Russia Likely to Denigrate Health of US Candidates to Influence 2020 Election,’ and was intended to alert law enforcement to keep on the lookout, according to ABC News, which obtained internal emails about the document.
In the document, U.S. analysts stated their ‘high confidence’ that ‘Russian malign influence actors are likely to continue denigrating presidential candidates through allegations of poor mental or physical health to influence the outcome of the 2020 election.’
The examples they provided were about Biden and about Hillary Clinton in 2016.
‘Russian state media RT and Sputnik and a Russian proxy website between September 2019 and May 2020 posted allegations about the poor mental health of 2020 Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden,’ it said.
‘For example, the proxy website in March 2020 refuted media claims that the candidate’s gaffes are a result of a stutter, instead arguing these verbal miscues are symptoms of dementia.’
The Department of Homeland Security held back on releasing an intelligence warning to law enforcement agencies that Russia was pushing out political attacks on Democrat Joe Biden’s mental health after an aide flagged it for acting DHS chief Chad Wolf’s review
The agency distributed the draft for review, including to an office that handles legislative and public affairs, on July 7, to be released to law enforcement within days – at a time when Donald Trump was already attacking Biden as ‘Sleepy Joe’ and someone who was staff driven and lacking in mental capacity.
It also said that in 2016, ‘RT and Sputinik also alleged Clinton suffered from a more serious health condition [than pneumonia] and suggested diagnoses ranging from thyroid disease to the early onset of Parkinson’s disease and other neurological conditions.’
The memo said Iranian and Russian state media questioned Trump’s mental health, but did not suggest that the two countries were using ‘malign actors’ to push the narrative.
But Homeland Security chief of staff John Gountanis penned an email putting the brakes on it. ‘Please hold on sending this one out until you have a chance to speak to’ to Wolf, he wrote.
‘This particular draft product lacked the necessary context and evidence for broader dissemination outside of the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Intelligence and Analysis,’ said the spokesperson, who said Wolf was briefed on the matter.
The leaked internal emails emerged as congressional Democrats are demanding the Trump administration resume in-person election security briefings for lawmakers.
Trump has repeatedly attacked ‘Sleepy Joe’ Biden for his mental fitness. On Tuesday the president denied himself experiencing a ‘series of mini-strokes.’ He was with Chad Wolf (third from left) in Kenosha Tuesday
The document was titled ‘Russia Likely to Denigrate Health of US Candidates to Influence 2020 Election.’ U.S. intelligence determined in 2017 that Russia’s election interference campaign was directed by the Kremlin
New Director of Intelligence former GOP Rep. John Ratcliffe, a Trump loyalist, wrote the intelligence committees to inform them they will only get election security briefings in writing.
The DNI warned last month that Russia was seeking to ‘denigrate’ Biden, without providing specifics. The DNI’s statement also said that China prefers Biden in the election, without spelling out any concrete actions it was taking.
A Moscow plan to promote attacks on Biden’s mental fitness would dovetail with many of the slashing personal attacks Trump has been making against his rival.
Trump tweeted March 2: WOW! Sleepy Joe doesn’t know where he is, or what he’s doing. Honestly, I don’t think he even knows what office he’s running for!’
Trump tweeted in May that his ‘BRAIN is much sharper’ than Biden’s.
Trump regularly depicts Biden as controlled by others, and said Tuesday ‘Biden doesn’t know he’s alive.’
On Tuesday, Trump, 74, used Twitter to deny that he himself ‘suffered a series of mini-strokes’ and had the White House physician release a statement denying he had had a stroke or other ailments involving the brain, after a new book revealed Vice President Mike Pence was put on standby during Trump’s September 2019 trip to Walter Reed Medical Center. Biden is 77.
Wolfe accompanied Trump to Kenosha Wisconsin Tuesday along with Attorney General Bill Barr.
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