Although understandable, the nonstop US media coverage of the intrigue is also doing Putin a favor, showing a loss of faith in democratic processes and adding to the panic that the liberal elite is losing control of America.
The signs of Russian influence in the US election are clearly of grave concern. But the constant speculation and anger about how far the relationship between Trump and Putin goes only add weight to Russia’s power projection in international affairs and further the mythologizing of Putin as a master of control. It creates the impression that US democracy is in crisis as a direct result of a seemingly all-powerful, foreign political entity.
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