ELECTION/NATIONAL SECURITY/RUSSIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “U.S. President Donald Trump’s top aides said on Thursday [8-2-18] that Russia is behind ‘pervasive’ attempts to interfere in upcoming U.S. elections, in a rejection of denials of meddling that Russian President Vladimir Putin made directly to Trump. Trump’s national security team, including intelligence director Dan Coats and national security adviser John Bolton, appeared in the White House briefing room to stress that a major effort is under way to protect the integrity of congressional elections in November and the 2020 presidential election…Trump has voiced skepticism about Russia’s role in U.S. election meddling, drawing accusations from Democrats and Republicans alike that he is ignoring a threat to American democracy..But Coats, Bolton, FBI Director Christopher Wray, Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen and the director of the National Security Agency, Paul Nakasone, said Russia is to blame along with other foreign actors. Coats said the Russian meddling effort reached into the Kremlin itself. He gave no details.”
–Steve Holland, Jeff Mason, “Trump aides say Russia has sweeping effort to weaken U.S. elections,” Reuters, August 2, 2018 10:36 am