Michael McFaul Profile picture
Oct 2, 2020 7 tweets 2 min read Read on X
I don't think the craziness of DNI Ratcliffe's letter is being properly appreciated. This action is outrageous and dangerous on so many levels. THREAD 1/. judiciary.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/…
First, the DNI released information/disinformation about an American from a foreign enemy! Why would the USG ever release information about assessments of Americans obtained from any foreign government, let alone from a hostile country? That is nuts. 2/
Second, as I know bitterly well from first-hand experience, Russian intel agents are masters at disinformation. Putin wanted to Trump to win, and Clinton to lose. Of course, they would release such disinformation. You don't need a PhD in Russian studies to figure that out. 3/
BTW, when I worked at the White House and as U.S. Ambassador to Russia, I used to say utter nonsense all the time on open lines being listened to by Russian intelligence agents. I knew they were listening, so I purposely said untrue things on the phone to confuse them. SOP. 4/
Third, what is the American national security interest being advanced by the release of this disinformation/information about 2016 a month before our presidential election in 2020? The answer -- none. 5/
And remember, the DNI has decided to NOT to release information about Russian meddling in our election right now. Voters have a right to know. But the DNI has decided otherwise. 6/
This is dangerous, folks, We cannot allow our Intelligence Community to become a propaganda instrument for a political party. 7/. END THREAD.

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More from @McFaul

Nov 17
Many compare Trump to Putin. I have, too. But the moment right now feels more like the Yeltsin era, when Russia's oligarchs took advantage of an older & somewhat incapacitated leader to privatize the state for their own interests. I wrote about this at length in the 1990s. THREAD 1/
See for instance, McFaul, “Russia's ‘Privatized’ State as an Impediment to Democratic Consolidation,” Part I, Security Dialogue, Vol. 29, No. 2 (Spring 1998), pp. 25-33. 2/
and McFaul, “Russia's ‘Privatized’ State as an Impediment to Democratic Consolidation,” Part II, Security Dialogue, Vol. 29, No. 3 (Summer 1998), pp. 219-236. 3/
Read 5 tweets
Nov 7
I hope future members of Trump's national security team are students of John Mearsheimer, especially when dealing with Putin. THREAD 1/
In his classic The Tragedy of Great Power Politics, Professor Mearsheimer wrote (p. 164),
"appeasement contradicts the dictates of offensive realism and, therefore, is a fanciful and dangerous strategy." 2/
"It is unlikely to transform a dangerous force into a kinder, gentler opponent, much less a peace-loving state." 3/
Read 5 tweets
Oct 28
"A second Trump presidency will usher in a new chaotic, uncertain, and violent era, both at home and abroad. Some believe that’s ok, that we need an era of disruption to radically undermine the status quo at home and abroad. I don’t." 1/ THREAD
"As an academic, I have studied revolutions for over four decades. Some generate better outcomes for societies that live through them. Most do not. Instead, they produce sharp economic downturns, civil wars, dictatorships, and interstate conflicts." 2/
"America needs peaceful reform, not violent revolution. Our economy, the envy of the world, needs some reforms, not massive disruption. Our democracy needs gradual improvements, not a chaotic breakdown." 3/
Read 4 tweets
Oct 25
"In the upcoming U.S. presidential election, there are legitimate policy differences between Vice President Kamala Harris and Mr. Donald Trump, over which reasonable people will debate and disagree." THREAD 1/
"For instance, the two candidates have different views on taxation. I can understand why affluent voters might support Trump over Harris. That’s rational, even if I disagree with them." 2/
"I can also understand why tech entrepreneurs might think that Trump will be better for them regarding regulation, even if I think they’re wrong, because I may value competition more than they do. But that’s an honest policy disagreement." 3/
Read 8 tweets
Oct 3
"Former President Trump ... blamed the United States for Putin’s invasion of Ukraine and called Zelenskyy “the greatest salesman in history” because “every time he comes to the country, he walks away with 100 billion.” THREAD 1/
"While Trump rightly talked about the tremendous loss of life and property in Ukraine as a result of war, he never once blamed Putin for such killing and destruction." 2/
"That has been a consistent pattern for Trump for almost a decade now. He doesn’t criticize Putin and instead admires his strength and justifies his barbaric actions. " 3/
Read 4 tweets
Sep 23
The differences between candidates regarding foreign policy in this presidential election are very clear. That is not always the case. But this time around, voters have a very clear choice. Harris and Trump have very different approaches. 1/ THREAD
Harris believes in engagement and world leadership, supports allies and multilateralism, champions economic statecraft that benefits all Americans, and aspires to advance our democratic values. 2/
Trump trumpets isolationism, pursues pugnacious unilateralism, does not value allies, embraces dictators, and ignores the promotion of democratic values. 3/
Read 4 tweets

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