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ASPEN, Col.-Stern warnings on Russian interference in US elections that were issued by senior US law enforcement and intelligence officials at a political conference here was so sharply differing from White House tamer statements that security veterans said, "We have almost two governments," said John McLaughlin, who served as the CIA's deputy director for the Clinton presidency.
George W. Bush
administrations, said the Aspen Security Forum, which concluded four days of meetings on Saturday. "We have the brain and thumb of the president, with his tweets.Then we have the professionals in the government."
As the administration prepares for another summit with the president
Donald Trump
and the Russian president
Vladimir Poutine,
The more general question for current and former officials was whether contradictory badessments would hamper US efforts to formulate a coherent Russian policy. "Trump for months" signals that Russia will be a prominent political issue with North Korea and trade, "I said
Andrew Weiss,
an expert from Russia at the Carnegie Foundation for International Peace, who served in the Clinton and George H.W. Bush administrations. "But with such obvious cracks within his own team, the Russian policy of his administration is not clear."
The gap between the White House and much of its national security apparatus was exposed at the conference. badisted by current and former officials, legislators, experts and business leaders. It took place as the White House responded to Republican and Democrat concerns that President Trump had missed an opportunity to confront Putin over what intelligence agencies say is Russia's interference in the elections The most notable are the comments of National Intelligence Director Dan Coats at Thursday's forum, saying that the United States should hold Russia for "devastating our electoral process," while acknowledging that the White House It happened when Mr. Trump met alone in Helsinki with the Russian leader, or even to tell him that another summit meeting with Mr. Putin had been scheduled.
Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation
Christopher Wray
claimed that Russia continued to conduct "malicious information operations" in the United States and defended the investigation of a special advocate
Robert Mueller
in the Moscow interference in the 2016 presidential election, which Mr. Trump ridiculed as a "faked witch hunt."
"I do not believe that special adviser Mueller is on a witch hunt," said Wray, who took up his post in August after Trump's shot
James Comey.
When asked if he had ever threatened to resign because of political pressure, Mr. Wray said, "I am a discreet and discreet man, but that should not be confused with what makes my spine. I will stick to that. "
In addition, the Deputy Attorney General
Rod Rosenstein
"Russian intelligence officers did not stumble over the idea of hacking American computers and displaying misleading messages because they had a free afternoon," said M Rosenstein. "It's what they do every day, not just attacking America but other countries."
These comments contrast with the statements of Mr. Trump, who stated in Helsinki that he had been convinced by the rejection of Mr. Putin's interference. When he returned to Washington, he was ill-voiced, claiming that Russia may not have been the only one to interfere in this interference – an argument disputed by the US government. Coats' claim that Russia was by far the main danger. Mr Coats also said that it would be better if Mr Trump did not meet alone with Mr Putin in the future.
On Saturday, Mr. Coats issued a statement stating that the surprise he expressed Thursday when he told Mr. Trump had invited Mr. Putin to Washington was not intended as a reprimand to Mr. Trump. "My clumsy answer admitted was not intended to be disrespectful or to criticize the president's actions," he said.
But Mr. Coats also noted in his statement that he would continue to provide information "to prevent Russian interference in our upcoming elections", leaving open the question of how Mr. Trump listens to intelligence officials in the approach of another summit.
Not all officials who spoke at the forum were so direct. Secretary of Homeland Security
Kirstjen Nielsen
At first, in response to the question of a reporter, she said, "I agree with the evaluation of the Intel community. .
United States intelligence agencies concluded in a 2017 report that Putin ordered a campaign to undermine the faith of the American public in the democratic process while helping Mr. Trump.
"L & # 39th idea that the President of the United States would give any credibility to a "The Republican Representative of Texas, who chairs the House Committee on Homeland Security, said in an interview."
"That said, I think it's important to recognize the role of the DNI," McCaul added in referring to Mr. Coats. "He's not the planner of the president. He is there to provide information and advice to the President on request … I think the best way is always to have better communication within your team.
Some participants noted that the applause received by the Department of Justice, the FBI and almost as striking as their message
. Rosenstein received a standing ovation before his Thursday speech on cybersecurity issues, while Mr. Wray drew applause when he said in his Wednesday appearance that it was vital to respect the Constitution. Several participants said the conference participants were widely perceived as a bulwark against Trump's potentially capricious actions.
"Basically, all these lame people from a wide variety of backgrounds in some respects believe that it is the people who defend the rule of law," Roberta Jacobson, who resigned from his position in May as "the only one in the world." American ambbadador to Mexico after a long career in the State Department, said in an interview.
Wendell Willkie, a former Reagan official and George HW The Bush administrations and the grandson of the Republican presidential candidate who lost to Franklin Roosevelt in 1940, offered a similar explanation for the audience response .
"There is an underlying concern that the international liberal order is now threatened with bipartisan admiration for highly competent officials who continue to promote American ideals and interests," Willkie said.
Write to Michael R. Gordon at [email protected]
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