Why Russian hacking matters (Hint: It’s not about Hillary Clinton)

Russia’s effort to make certain Donald Trump was elected is not a story about who won the election, and Democrats who try to make it an explanation for Hillary Clinton’s loss — just like Republican hacks who dismiss the story because they think Russian espionage did not change the outcome — miss the boat entirely. We should care about the Trump-Russia relationship because he is going to be the 45th president.

You would think it would be obvious that Russian efforts to select America’s president through cyber-weaponized revelations may be the most important election story — ever. This is warfare of an entirely different sort, one aimed at the heart of democracy. As Sen. Lindsey Graham tweeted, “Russia is trying to break the backs of democracies — and democratic movements — all over the world.”

There are three kinds of questions to be asked:

▪ Motives: We don’t know if Vladimir Putin’s espionage on Trump’s behalf was undertaken with some specific expectation or understanding about Trump’s future conduct; on the belief Putin could manipulate pro-Russian advisers around Trump; or simply on the observation that Trump is an egomaniac and ignoramus whom Putin could play. We don’t know whether personal affinity, economic self-interest or something else prompted Trump to adopt pro-Russian positions (e.g., weaken NATO) and take Putin’s side against U.S. intelligence agencies. Congressional investigators should get to the bottom of Trump advisers’ ties to Russia, any communications during the campaign between Trump’s team and the Kremlin and post-election conversations.

▪ Personnel picks: How did Trump wind up with so many Russian apologists in his inner circle? Eric Edelman and David Kramer wrote recently in Politico:

Designated national security advisor Michael Flynn “appeared at the 10th anniversary dinner last December for RT, one of the Kremlin’s most scurrilous propaganda outlets. Flynn sat at Putin’s table and was reportedly paid to give a speech during the festivities. Although Flynn’s defenders claim he was tough on Putin in conversation, no independent evidence has emerged to confirm that. Paul Manafort served as Trump’s campaign chairman until controversy over his ties in Ukraine to the pro-Russian former President Viktor Yanukovych forced him off the team in August. Carter Page, cited by Trump as an adviser earlier this year, has had various business dealings in Russia and gave a speech in Moscow in July in which he slammed U.S. policy toward Russia.”

All of these people have called for lifting sanctions on Russia and returning to a normal bilateral relationship.

Did these advisers promote pro-Putin views, or did Trump pick them because he was already favorably inclined toward Putin? Add in Rex W. Tillerson, who has advocated against sanctions and has a chummy relationship with Putin stemming from negotiations between Exxon and Russia. Is this mere coincidence? It is essential that Congress determine what, if any, financial ties exist between Russia and the Trump team.

▪ How, if at all, will Trump’s Russia policy change because of Russia’s intervention in our election? Trump seems bent on denying Russia did anything wrong, suggesting that far from responding to the attack on our electoral process Trump wants to cozy up to the Russian bear at the expense of allies.

“Trump could upend EU policy toward Russia and derail the sanctions regime. Lifting Western sanctions on Russia while it still occupies Ukrainian territory would embolden Putin into thinking he has reconsolidated a sphere of influence along his borders,” Edelman and Kramer write. “It would put an end to the effort to impose costs for his military aggression without requiring him to live up to any of the conditions, including withdrawal of forces and return of control of the border to Ukraine, required by the Minsk cease-fire agreement signed in February 2015.”

If a presidential candidate had fallen under the influence of an ex-KGB agent, it is hard to say how he would be doing anything different than Trump is now — hiring Russian sycophants, nixing anti-Russian candidates, denying overwhelming evidence of Russian espionage, suggesting our obligations to NATO are not ironclad, ignoring human rights violations in Russia, etc. Maybe Trump is simply misinformed or careless. But why do all his “errors” tilt in favor of Putin?

The issue then is not whether Putin compromised our election but whether Trump and his advisers are compromised. The latter is a frightening notion, one that should take precedence over partisan backbiting — and every other issue until the questions are satisfactorily resolved.

This story was originally published December 13, 2016 at 5:30 PM with the headline "Why Russian hacking matters (Hint: It’s not about Hillary Clinton)."