Trump Won the Election Fair and Square — That Doesn’t Mean the Russians Played No Part

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Trump Won the Election Fair and Square — That Doesn’t Mean the Russians Played No Part
by JONAH GOLDBERG   | December 14, 2016 12:00 AM

The Russians did not decide the election, but their attempt to influence it merits serious attention from all parties.

Of course Donald Trump thinks it’s “ridiculous” to claim the Russians rigged the election for him. Even if Vladimir Putin confessed to the crime on Russia Today, Trump would not believe it, because to do so is not in his nature. I do not want to shock the reader, but Trump has a very high opinion of himself and a tendency to reject evidence that contradicts that opinion, combined with an eagerness to find corroboration of his self-regard wherever possible. For instance, during the campaign he could never concede that online polls weren’t scientific, because the results of these polls confirmed that Trump was terrific, fabulous, and tremendous.

So there was nothing shocking about Trump’s behavior over the weekend.

Fox News Sunday host Chris Wallace asked, “According to the Washington Post, the CIA has concluded that Russia intervened in the election to help you win the presidency. Your reaction?”

Trump’s response:

“I think it’s ridiculous. I think it’s just another excuse. I don’t believe it. I don’t know why, and I think it’s just — you know, they talked about all sorts of things. Every week, it’s another excuse. We had a massive landslide victory, as you know, in the Electoral College. I guess the final numbers are now at 306. . . .  No, I don’t believe that at all.”

See? Wallace asked about a news report about a reported CIA finding, and Trump heard, “You didn’t really win the election because of Russia.” (FYI, Trump’s Electoral College victory ranks as the 46th biggest — out of 58).

...

It’s a poisonous situation all around. Trump refuses to budge on his claim to a glorious, massive victory (or back off of his disturbing Putinphilia). Democrats — and much of the media — won’t grapple with the fact that Clinton lost fair and square, and they are in desperate pursuit of excuses to reject Trump’s legitimacy. ...

The only hope is that after Trump has been sworn in, both sides can revisit the issue of Putin’s clearly insidious agenda, without the specter of a “do-over” coloring everything people say — and everything Trump hears.

Excerpt.  Read more at http://www.nationalreview.com/article/443017/russian-hacking-2016-election-democrats-trump-react