On Wednesday, the FBI, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence advanced the Iran hacking controversy, explaining that Iranian operatives sent “unsolicited emails” — including materials stolen from Donald Trump’s campaign — to Democrats.
At least for now, the available information suggests Democrats ignored the outreach and did not respond to the unsolicited emails.
A day later, the former president addressed the matter on camera for the first time, spinning a tale on Newsmax that bore little resemblance to reality.
Trump: They hacked my campaign, they spied on my campaign, and they gave the information to Kamala. So when is the grand jury meeting? Is there going to be a grand jury? pic.twitter.com/FL6SABud69
— Acyn (@Acyn) September 20, 2024
To hear him tell it, the FBI contradicted the Harris campaign — the exact opposite is true — and this controversy is “real,” unlike his Russia scandal. (The Trump-Russia scandal continues to be real, whether the former president likes it or not.)
In the same interview, the GOP candidate said, “So when is the grand jury meeting, I want to know. Is there going to be a grand jury?”
In reality, of course, there might very well be a grand jury to indict the Iranian hackers — who, incidentally, targeted both parties’ campaigns — but that’s probably not what Trump had in mind. Rather, he apparently is under the impression that the Democratic campaign should endure the kind of investigation that he and his operation faced after the 2016 campaign.
Let’s break this down in a way the former president should be able to understand.
Did the candidate and his/her team welcome foreign intervention in a U.S. presidential campaign?
Trump: Yes
Harris: No
Did the candidate and his/her team encourage foreign intervention in a U.S. presidential campaign?
Trump: Yes
Harris: No
Did the candidate and his/her team engage with a foreign adversary as it targeted a U.S. presidential campaign?
Trump: Yes
Harris: No
Did the candidate and his/her team use information obtained by a foreign adversary after it successfully hacked a rival’s computer system?
Trump: Yes
Harris: No
Did the candidate and his/her team publicly declare that foreign intervention in a U.S. presidential campaign is acceptable?
Trump: Yes
Harris: No
Did the candidate and his/her team lie to the public about their private interactions with the foreign adversary that hacked a rival’s computer system?
Trump: Yes
Harris: No
The more the Republican nominee argues that the Iranian hacking controversy is somehow worse than the Russian hacking controversy, the more we’re reminded of the degree to which he has the stories backward.
