In early July 2018, the U.S. Department of Justice released an indictment against 12 Russian military intelligence officers accused of hacking into the Democratic National Committee and the Clinton presidential campaign during the 2016 U.S. presidential elections. The most significant takeaway from the indictment, however, is not who the individuals were or what they did. Instead, it highlights the failure of American democracy and the role of President Donald Trump in supporting foreign interference.
As Americans, we should all read the Trump indictment. It paints a clear picture of how Trump benefited from the hack, and how he has been complicit in the Russian interference. Beyond that, it highlights how the President of the United States can undermine national security, limit accountability, and exploit the system to serve his personal interests.
The indictment begins by describing how the Russian government allegedly began to interfere in the U.S. presidential election as early as 2014. Through a series of targeted had phished emails, the alleged hackers were in a position to extract and publish vast quantities of sensitive information, including personal emails from Democratic National Committee employees, internal memos, and confidential Clinton campaign strategies.
The indictment depicts in unprecedented detail how the Russian hackers used spear-phishing techniques to obtain credentials and gain access to the email accounts that contained this highly sensitive and confidential information. They then communicated with each other through cryptic online identities and encrypted channels that could not be easily traced or tracked.
Furthermore, the indictment reveals how the Russian military intelligence officers allegedly leveraged stolen information with the help of a well-funded disinformation campaign to sway public opinion in favor of Donald Trump. Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s team alleges that the Russian-backed disinformation campaign aimed not only to damage Hillary Clinton but also to promote Trump and undermine the electoral process in America.
Trump’s position, according to the indictment, indicates that he knowingly benefitted from the alleged hacking and illegal release of sensitive information. While this indictment is not an official accusation against Trump, it is clearly stated that the alleged Russian government hacked into the servers of the Democratic National Committee, stealing information that directly benefited Trump’s campaign.
As Americans, we need to be morally conscious of the consequences of these actions. Comparatively, the Russian interference was not the only factor in Trump’s victory. Other significant factors such as voter suppression, unsatisfactory journalism, polarization, and racism played critical roles in the 2016 election.
However, the Trump indictment underlines the importance of democracy, accountably, and transparency in our electoral process and of valuing the integrity of the election in the United States. As a nation, we must start engaging in critical thinking modes and break away from political dogma to ensure fair and democratic elections.
In conclusion, it is a moral duty for Americans to read the Trump indictment. While it identifies the involvement of foreign interference during the 2016 elections, the indictment points to a much bigger issue, namely the significance of conscious and transparent democracy and just systems of governance in a society. We must become a nation of critical thinkers and informed citizens to challenge any actions that undermine American democracy and protect our country from foreign interference in the future.
