Russian efforts to suborn such individuals

Meanwhile, as Trump struggles to act like an adult overseas, another intel official has said he was worried about the Trump campaign’s dealings with Russia.

John O. Brennan, the former C.I.A. director, said Tuesday that he became concerned last year that the Russian government was trying to influence members of the Trump campaign to act — wittingly or unwittingly — on Moscow’s behalf.

“I encountered and am aware of information and intelligence that revealed contacts and interactions between Russian officials and U.S. persons involved in the Trump campaign that I was concerned about because of known Russian efforts to suborn such individuals,” Mr. Brennan told lawmakers. “It raised questions in my mind about whether Russia was able to gain the cooperation of those individuals.”

Senator John McCain of Arizona, the Republican chairman of the Armed Services Committee, opened questioning at a hearing Tuesday by asking Dan Coats, the director of national intelligence, about a Washington Post report that Mr. Trump had asked him — along with Adm. Michael S. Rogers of the National Security Agency — to publicly dispute that any evidence exists of collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia. According to the report, Mr. Coats and Admiral Rogers both turned down his requests, deeming them inappropriate.

“Is that an accurate reporting, Director Coats?” Mr. McCain said after summarizing the report.

Mr. Coats said he could not publicly discuss what was in the report.

Hence the need for Deep Throats.

Mr. Brennan became so concerned last summer about signs of Russian election meddling that he held urgent, classified briefings for eight senior members of Congress, speaking with some of them over secure phone lines while they were away on recess. In those conversations, he told lawmakers there was evidence that Russia was specifically working to elect Mr. Trump as president.

Mr. Brennan was also one of a handful of officials who briefed both President Barack Obama and Mr. Trump in January on a broad intelligence community report revealing that President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia had personally ordered an “influence campaign” targeting the presidential election.

But her emails…

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