The Putin Files

The U.S. Response to Russian Measures

As intelligence agencies warned about Russia’s intervention in the election, the Obama White House debated how to respond. While some in the administration urged strong action, Obama worried about damaging the election’s credibility. Obama confronted Putin about the interference during a meeting in China. U.S. intelligence officials issued a public warning in October, on the same day that both the “Access Hollywood” tape and the first batch of Podesta emails were released.
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Highlights From This Theme

“They're so worried about each other, the Democrats and Republicans, as adversaries that they can't get around the idea that there is a bigger adversary.”

Greg Miller

The Washington Post

“Just to wag your finger at somebody who’s doing outrageously illegal things really doesn’t cut it in the 21st century.”

Sebastian Gorka

Deputy Assistant to the President, 2017

“They can do it again. We haven't begun to really appreciate exactly how that process worked on individuals, on blocs of voters, and how we’re going to try and prevent it from happening again.”

Jon Wolfsthal

Obama adviser, 2014-17

“It was the perfect 19th-century solution to a 21st-century attack.”

David Sanger

The New York Times

“Why would they not do a common diplomatic practice, which is to retaliate? Why would Putin not do what he normally does, which is hit you back harder? It was puzzling.”

Celeste Wallander

Obama administration, 2009-17

“A number of us felt very strongly that we had to tell the American public what we knew and that it would be unforgiveable, post-election, if we had not.”

Jeh Johnson

Secretary of Homeland Security, 2013-17

“This is a classic case of the Obama administration overthinking something while the Russians were just kind of punching them in the gut.”

Julia Ioffe

The Atlantic

“I ask myself now, as a result of those direct engagements with them, did it give the Russians pause? Did they decide not to do some of the things that they could have done?”

John Brennan

CIA Director, 2013-17

“Very clever on Putin’s part as well, because President Obama conceivably could have been accused of doing the very thing that Putin himself was doing...”

Victoria Nuland

U.S. ambassador to NATO, 2005-08

“Earlier drafts of that statement included Putin by name, but his name got taken out in the final statement because of a concern over sources and methods and of concern about appearing to be too provocative...”

Ellen Nakashima

The Washington Post

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