Putin's Revenge, Part Two (full documentary) | FRONTLINE

Veteran Putin watchers worried that if the president did not respond force

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y, the attacks would continue. As we watch what is happening, those of us who have seen this movie before, whether in Estonia or Ukraine, it looks absolutely familiar. Everyone I knew who read this and who was at high levels in the State De

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ment supported attributing it to the Russians as soon as possible and responding force

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y. Obama could have destroyed the computer servers that were involved in this. He could have intervened to reveal information about Putin himself and his financial connections with the oligarchs. He had all kinds of cyber options.

And then he had all kinds of non-cybertools: sanctions, things like that. NARRATOR: But Obama resisted aggressive responses. I think the feeling was, how are you going to talk about this without making it seem like you're influencing the election and taking sides? I just think they preferred to stay out of it. On top of all this was President Obama's concern about not doing anything that would become a self-fulfilling prophecy for the Russians, that would call into question the integrity of the election. Very smart of Putin, too, because President Obama could possibly have been accused of doing exactly what Putin himself was doing and therefore contributing to the discredit of the election.

The other thing is that the Obama administration expected Clinton to win. And they were afraid that if they weighed now, it would look like they were really putting their thumbs on the scale. This is a classic case of the Obama administration overthinking something while the Russians just punched them in the gut. NARRATOR: Before acting, the president wanted Republicans in Congress to join him in denouncing Putin and Russia's interference. The Obama administration is so worried about being accused of politicizing intelligence during the election, that they're really reluctant for the president himself to go out on a limb and say, "Look, Russia is doing this.

Russia is gaming our elections." ". They really wanted this to be a bi

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isan statement condemning Moscow's interference. NARRATOR: Top intelligence officials traveled to Capitol Hill to tell congressional leaders what they knew. They were all there: the president, the Leader Pelosi, Leader McConnell, Leader Reid, the foreign affairs committees, the intelligence committees. And we briefed them on what we knew NARRATOR: Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell expressed skepticism about it. intelligence and warned that he would not join an effort to publicly challenge Putin. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell tells them that "if you do that, we will interpret it as you putting your thumb on the scale in favor." Hillary Clinton." NARRATOR: The meetings were top secret, held behind closed doors.

In those congressional briefings, some of the people expressed concern that this was motivated by partisan interests on the part of of the administration. And that offended me and I told them that it was an intelligence evaluation. This is a matter of intelligence. It is a time when politics and partisan positioning seem to take priority over national security. In other words, they are so concerned about each other, Democrats and Republicans, as adversaries, that they cannot escape the idea that there is a greater adversary. NARRATOR: In Moscow, President Vladimir Putin denied being at the center of the hacking, but seemed pleased to be the center of attention.

Everyone started talking about Russia. Some questions were asked. Vladimir Putin was clearly amused when asked these questions in early September. He gave some, well, conventional answers with the odd wink, but that was it. (speaks Russian) (laughs) (translated): I don't know anything about that. You know, there are so many hackers nowadays. And they act with such delicacy and precision that they can leave their mark at the necessary time and place or even someone else's mark. There is always plausible deniability built into the system. Many of the hackers working for the Russian government do not necessarily wear epaulets and uniforms.

They are not necessarily sitting in G.R.U. bunkers in Moscow or somewhere in Russia. Many of them are self-employed. (speaks Russian) (translated): Does it even matter who hacked this data from Mrs. Clinton's campaign headquarters? Is that really important? What is important is the content that has been given to the public. And the Russians didn't really deny it. This is the classic Russian tactic, where they, they... it's denial. There is a veneer of denial. But at the same time, the Russians are telegraphing with a kind of wink: "We'll see what we can do." (woman speaking Russian) NARRATOR: In September, President Barack Obama decided to personally deliver a warning to Vladimir Putin. (man speaking Russian) The setting was the G20 summit in Hangzhou, China.

We had talked about the importance of making sure that President Obama took advantage of that opportunity, so that Mr. Putin understood the seriousness of this, the seriousness with which Mr. Obama viewed it, and the need to cease and desist. NARRATOR: They posed for formal photographs. Obama later pushed Putin aside. And the photographs of that meeting are quite extraordinary. President Obama looks at Putin with contempt and says: "We know what he is doing and he must stop it." I mean, this is the most direct warning that one State can give to another. The image says more than a thousand words.

I think President Obama's face really conveys a sense of deep concern and sends a message to Mr. Putin. NARRATOR: Despite the confrontation, Putin continued to deny Russian involvement. The answer we get from the Russians, very much the answer we always get from the Russians, which is: "We're not doing anything. It's not us. I don't know what you're talking about. We would never do it." interfere with your system in the same way you interfere with our system." Simply direct denials: "We are not involved, it is not us. We would never do such a thing." We now move on to the race for the White House. ...only six weeks until Election Day.

The battle at the polls... NARRATOR: That fall, while Hillary As Clinton prepared for the final weeks of the campaign, her staff was increasingly concerned that the Russians were involved in more than just hacking We were seeing stories about Hillary Clinton appearing on Russian propaganda websites like Russia Today and Sputnik. . A Democratic frontrunner has been forced to refute rumors about her deteriorating health, perhaps... And then, somehow, it ends up in a very similar way, in the right-wing media ecosystem of the United States: Breitbart and Info Wars, Even Fox News. What was once a whispered concern is now attracting widespread attention.

We're talking about Hillary Clinton's health. Clinton is, quote... NARRATOR: On RT, a globally distributed cable channel controlled by the Kremlin... Various theories about his health became popular... NARRATOR: ...exaggerated and questionable stories began to circulate about the Clinton's health. Under a microscope are Clinton's falls, coughs and head movements. (overlapping reporters) (laughter) Did she discuss VP possibilities with Senator Warren? You guys have to try the cold chai. This video filmed in June went viral and sparked a series of rumors that Clinton may have had a seizure. Some have said it's like a mini seizure. How about? It could be post-concussion syndrome... you know, you don't have your balance, you're dizzy all the time...

In the world of hybrid warfare and misinformation, all you need to do is float something that is incorrect or erroneous, then other people will take advantage of it and the spread will occur at the speed of light. The fact is that she is giving speeches every day and she has to cancel them because of these coughing fits. (coughing) New questions tonight about Hillary Clinton's health. Good evening, it was a dramatic moment that she is already seeing over and over again. This morning's episode raises more questions about her health. NARRATOR: Similar stories appeared on the Russian-controlled news service Sputnik.

This is a multi-pronged attack. Many times these types of efforts involve things that are only half true, but that create doubts and suspicions that are part of the objective. Health scare for Hillary Clinton over the weekend... Questions about... NARRATOR: On social media, the stories exploded. (woman speaking Russian) The idea that Hillary Clinton was sick was not true. But because of the way you experienced the news and what you read, she could spend all day receiving information that reinforced this belief that Hillary Clinton was hiding something. NARRATOR: Fueling the rise of social media: fake users designed to look like Americans, Kremlin-supporting trolls, an army of automated accounts called bots on Twitter, and ads targeting Facebook and Google.

It involves the use of bots, the use of technology, to spread artificial news, what many people call fake news. NARRATOR: The stories also reached the mainstream media, and during the election campaign, Donald Trump would use them to his advantage. And she can't get 15 feet to her car, give me a break. Give me a break. I would cite material that belonged to what we used to call marginal. But the strip became the center of American political life. Give me a break! And some of those margins involved Russian stories that weren't accurate. (man speaking Russian) Because what Putin was trying to do was show that everyone lies, everyone cheats.

There is no objective truth. And there is no difference between what you hear in the Western media and what you hear, for example, in the Russian media. That was the line, and he increasingly managed to blur it for people, even in the United States and the West. Top Democrats are accusing very high levels of the Russian government of trying to influence... Did Russia do the hacking? Did they do it to influence American political elections? NARRATOR: As the size and scope of Russian interference intensified, intelligence agencies became increasingly concerned. They said they believe Russian hackers are behind those attacks in a possible attempt...

There was an emerging picture that was becoming increasingly clear, of interference, attempts to interfere in our democracy. NARRATOR: In tense debates, Secretary Johnson pushed for the release of intelligence information about Putin and the hacking. Several of us felt strongly that we had to tell the American public what we knew, and that it would be unforgivable, after the election, if we had not done so. I think Jeh and I had the same opinion here, that if the elections, for whatever reason and in any way, went south, and then it got out that we knew what the Russians were doing, or that we had some idea pretty good of what they were doing, and we didn't say anything about it before the election, there would really be a lot to pay.

NARRATOR: Finally, Obama agreed. Obama still doesn't want this to be in his name. So he enlists his intelligence chief, James Clapper, and his national security chief, Jeh Johnson, to issue a statement on his behalf, hoping that it will be perceived as less partisan than if the president had done so. made himself. NARRATOR: But simply agreeing on what to say would be difficult. The statement that Jim Clapper and Jeh Johnson released went through an arduous review process, including in the White House Situation Room, just trying to get the tone right, make sure the message was right. NARRATOR: The statement examined was only three paragraphs long. ...the Russian government directed the recent compromises of emails from American individuals and institutions..." There were some interesting things about that intelligence report.

First, it didn't give us details. Second, it arrived incredibly late. . And it took the intelligence community more than two months to find some sentences that essentially confirmed that story. NARRATOR: Also missing: any mention of President Putin's personal involvement. They could have said Putin, but they didn't His name was removed from the final statement due to concerns about sources and methods and concerns about appearing too provocative. It did not say that they had seen evidence, although they had. It did not say that they were listening to conversations that would take directly to Putin, although they had He said, "It had to have been ordered at the highest levels." NARRATOR: At the White House, they celebrated their collective breath and sent it to the media.

I thought our statement was going to be big news. It was unprecedented for the United States government to accuse another superpower of effectively putting its thumb on the scale of our democracy and attempting to influence our elections. NARRATOR: They had planned the release for a Friday afternoon. From the White House perspective, they'll leave this on a Friday and have news coverage over the weekend. This was going to be a great story. ...the Russians, at the highest levels of the Russian government, have authorized cyber attacks against... We thought this was pretty good news. And we started figuring out how quickly we could get it out on the web, breaking page one.

And one even wilder one arrives. Pete, thanks for that. And some breaking news, which arrives only in the last seconds. NBC News just learned of a video that captures Donald Trump making vulgar comments about women... And that was, of course, the famous tape of Trump bragging about how he would treat women when he was a star and, Ya You know, he could get away with it. Late tonight, a blast from the past appears to be exploding in front of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump. NARRATOR: News of the tape broke at 4:00 p.m. And that leaves out even the news that Vladimir Putin interferes in our elections.

And that tape becomes the dominant story of the day. This is much better. This is... The video for "Access Hollywood" came out the same day. And all the media were like cattle. And they went to graze at the other end of the meadow. It's the audio recording that is causing shockwaves throughout the presidential election... Biden called Trump's comments disgusting... A deeply offensive comment Trump made about women and the potential... And it's like an avalanche. I mean, the warning that the Obama administration was desperately trying to convey with that statement ends up at the bottom of that avalanche.

The Trump camp has quickly launched into disaster mode... NARRATOR: It looked like Trump's campaign might be over. ...that this is the end of Donald Trump's campaign. He won't be able to do anything to recover from this... NARRATOR: And then, just minutes after the Trump tape surfaced, another bombshell. A flood of emails suggests that privately, his advisors... NARRATOR: Wikileaks suddenly began publishing those emails from John Podesta that had been captured by Russian hackers months earlier. The leaks of my emails didn't occur until October, an hour after the "Access Hollywood" tape became public. Clearly, I think this was done to some extent to distract the press, to get them out of the "Access Hollywood" story.

Breaking news here. Wikileaks is about to release, quote, "important material related to Hillary Clinton." The campaign is doing damage control tonight after the Wikileaks release... I was in a room dealing with emails from Wikileaks when that happened. And I think people forget that, that for Trump there were some really embarrassing moments. But for us, more and more came out every day. Campaign manager Robby Mook lashed out, writing and quoting: "Wow, what a terrorist." NARRATOR: It was just the beginning. Podesta's emails would continue to be leaked until election day. So the "Access Hollywood" tape is like this supernova that explodes that day.

Podesta's emails are like a fuse that is lit on this, that day, and slowly burns until it explodes as you get closer to the election. ...publication of emails from Hillary Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta. NARRATOR: Expanding once again on Podesta's emails: the trolls, the bots, RT and Donald Trump himself. Wikileaks is incredible, the material that is coming out. It shows that she is a real liar. This Wikileaks thing is incredible. The inner heart tells you. You have to read it. Wikileaks. I love Wikileaks. Everyone was complicit in Wikileaks and the Russians were complicit in it. The Trump campaign was amplifying it.

The entire press focused on Hillary Clinton, and in a negative way. It's decision day in America and we're taking a look at the presidential race... After a long and contentious presidential race, we're near the end... NARRATOR: After all the chaos , Hacks and Fake News, Election Day has finally arrived. Polls show a tight race nationally, but with Hillary Clinton in the lead. NARRATOR: In Moscow, they were watching the results come in. (speaking in Russian) It's hard to imagine that many people in Moscow thought that Donald Trump was going to win... (speaking in Russian) ...since no one else did.

They read the same things we read and see the same polls and the same experts. (speaks Russian) NARRATOR: Then, when the discomfort became clear... Incredibly (bleep) believable. Reason for joy. Everyone was very happy because it was a great surprise. (applause) ♪ We are the world champions! ♪ Everyone believed that there is a special agreement, a secret agreement, between the elites for Clinton to be elected. NARRATOR: Behind the scenes at the Duma... (speaks Russian) ...some Russian lawmakers collectively toasted with champagne. They didn't expect Trump to win. They just thought they were going to give Clinton a bloody nose. They didn't expect to break his neck.

NARRATOR: Trump's election was seen as a sign of strength for Putin. he demonstrated to ordinary Russians that Putin is deciding the fate of the American elections. It is considered a sign of Putin's greatness and also of Russia's greatness. (man speaking Russian) Donald Trump's surprising victory and the uncertainty surrounding... What may be one of the biggest political surprises in American history. I, Donald John Trump, do solemnly swear... NARRATOR: On January 20, the candidate Putin had supported became president of the United States. ...to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States, so help me God. (man speaking Russian) (translated): I don't know who in America believed that Putin chose Trump.

But Putin believed that. Putin believed that. NARRATOR: Trump rode to victory promising to make America great again, but the story of Russian interference would continue. The Russian cloud was with Trump on the first day of his inauguration. She is with him months later. And he will probably accompany him even to the end of his presidency. Michael Flynn resigns under fire... Sessions doubles down, categorically denying that... ...he recused himself... NARRATOR: His presidency was increasingly consumed by questions about a possible collusion between his campaign and Russia. This is a story that will not go away. And that devours Trump.

He watches it on television, he sees it in the newspaper, he hears people talking about it and it just eats away at him. ... Moscow bank that acts as a front for Russian espionage. President Trump has fired James Comey as FBI director. President Trump now faces outrage after firing Comey. NARRATOR: Vladimir Putin is now at the center of a major American political scandal. The US Senate approved a bill to impose new sanctions on Russia. Putin came back on stage strutting, you know, with his shoulders back, saying, "Russia is here." But he's also created a terrible backlash, and I don't think we know yet where he'll lead that.

A bill imposing new sanctions on Russia is now headed to the president's desk. NARRATOR: The conflict between Putin's Russia and the United States only seems to deepen. President Donald Trump revealed highly classified information to the Russians... ...he broke the law and compromised national security as... Mr. Putin sees these things as if they were zero sum. If the president of the United States, or the United States, is belittled in the eyes of the world, that only benefits Russia. For me, I think Mr. Putin sees this as a tremendous success. ...following the reaction tonight to the appointment of a special prosecutor for Russia... ...the explosive email chain regarding Donald Trump, Jr.'s meeting in Russia...

NARRATOR: A spy, a master bureaucrat, a strong man. Vladimir Putin and his quest for

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have cast a shadow over American democracy. Special counsel Robert Mueller has issued subpoenas for... Well, he must be very happy. He personally and the Russians collectively far exceeded expectations, sowing discord and discontent in this country. And they achieved it in an eminent way. Facebook has been under scrutiny for weeks after admitting that Russians used the platform... By the way, the Russians aren't going to stop. Their experience in our 2016 election will encourage them to interfere in the future, perhaps more aggressively. Three people with ties to President Trump now face charges...

Manafort and Gates indicted by 12-count federal grand jury... A former Trump campaign aide has pleaded guilty.. . ...he pleads guilty and is now cooperating with the Mueller investigation. ♪ ♪ For more information about this and other "Frontline" programs, visit our website at pbs.org/

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