--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Intelligence agencies, congressional…" description: "\"Intelligence agencies, congressional leaders, and outside experts have all assessed that Russia was responsible for a sweeping attack on the US electio..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/240/brian-stelter-4517_community_intelligence-agencies-congressional-lead_1013324.jpg" --- # Intelligence agencies, congressional leaders, and outside… ![“Intelligence agencies, congressional leaders, and outside experts have all assessed that Russia was responsible for a sweeping attack on the US election in 2016. Trump has given lip service to this assessment, saying he accepts the intelligence community's conclusions, while acting like he does not.” quote by Brian Stelter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/240/brian-stelter-4517_community_intelligence-agencies-congressional-lead_1013324.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/240/brian-stelter-4517_community_intelligence-agencies-congressional-lead_1013324.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/240/brian-stelter-4517_community_intelligence-agencies-congressional-lead_1013324.jpg) > “Intelligence agencies, congressional leaders, and outside experts have all assessed that Russia was responsible for a sweeping attack on the US election in 2016. Trump has given lip service to this assessment, saying he accepts the intelligence community's conclusions, while acting like he does not.” [Brian Stelter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-stelter/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote highlights the discrepancy between public acknowledgment of intelligence findings and contradictory actions, suggesting political spin over factual consensus. **In simple terms:** Leaders say one thing but act another. Key Takeaway Watch for actions, not just words. Themes politics media trust accountability Mood skeptical critical concerned Type analytical observational When to use this quote - election security - policy debates - media analysis - public discourse Key Concepts cognitive dissonance public perception information warfare Questions to Reflect On - How do you verify claims beyond statements? - What drives leaders to contradict evidence? A Different Perspective Political motives may cause selective acceptance of evidence. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [2016 Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/2016-trump-2214991/) [Assessed Russia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/assessed-russia-2214990/) [Attack Election](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attack-election-2214992/) [Community](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/community/) [Election](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/election/) [Intelligence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intelligence/) [Leadership](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leadership/) [Lip service](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lip-service/) [Russia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/russia/) [Russia Responsible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/russia-responsible-2190468/) [Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trump/) [Us](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/us/) ## Related quotes > [Hilary Clinton stated multiple times, falsely, that seventeen U.S. intelligence agencies had assessed that Russia was the source of our publications. That is false;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-assange/hilary-clinton-stated-multiple-times-falsely-that-seventeen-u-s/) [Julian Assange](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-assange/) > [In 2016, Trump, with his outsized ego, his anti-immigrant and anti-trade positions, coupled with barely disguised racism and deep-seated sexism and a willingness to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-beckel/in-2016-trump-with-his-outsized-ego-his-anti-immigrant-and-anti-trade/) [Bob Beckel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-beckel/) > [In 2016, Trump won by winning battleground states that few expected him to win.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mollie-hemingway/in-2016-trump-won-by-winning-battleground-states-that-few-expected/) [Mollie Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mollie-hemingway/) > [I do believe that both countries, China and Russia, that both of them are responsible countries.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-myung-bak/i-do-believe-that-both-countries-china-and-russia-that-both-of-them/) [Lee Myung-bak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-myung-bak/) > [The Clinton camp has been able to project that kind of neo-McCarthy hysteria: that Russia is responsible for everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-assange/the-clinton-camp-has-been-able-to-project-that-kind-of-neo-mccarthy/) [Julian Assange](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-assange/) > [Well, I mean, Russia was responsible for shooting down MH17. Russia was responsible for invading Ukraine. Russia is responsible for taking away the chemical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-browder/well-i-mean-russia-was-responsible-for-shooting-down-mh17-russia-was/) [Bill Browder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-browder/) > [“In the ‘60s and early ‘70s, we paid lip service to being black and proud, but the sudden conversion was not supported by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-burrell/in-the-60s-and-early-70s-we-paid-lip-service-to-being-black-and-proud/) [Tom Burrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-burrell/) > [Once we recognize the power of propaganda, we need to ask whether its exercise is consistent with those democratic ideals to which lip-service is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randal-marlin/once-we-recognize-the-power-of-propaganda-we-need-to-ask-whether-its/) [Randal Marlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randal-marlin/) > [It's not just lip service when I say I'm going to fight for the people. I've done that as a citizen already.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-boebert/it-s-not-just-lip-service-when-i-say-i-m-going-to-fight-for-the/) [Lauren Boebert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-boebert/) > [Remove the centrality-of-Jesus-Christ message from ministry and meetings, and you can forget church life or organic meetings. He must be the center of everything...not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-edwards/remove-the-centrality-of-jesus-christ-message-from-ministry-and/) [Gene Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-edwards/) > [Our leaders pay lip service to the freedoms that democracy provides while actually supporting an economic structure that imprisons its citizens under more and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacque-fresco/our-leaders-pay-lip-service-to-the-freedoms-that-democracy-provides/) [Jacque Fresco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacque-fresco/) > [“As Mofidi was an IRGC officer, he was not treated like the other families and sent a bill for the bullet that took his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-fulton/as-mofidi-was-an-irgc-officer-he-was-not-treated-like-the-other/) [Matt Fulton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-fulton/) > [“They are boiling with the pressured energy of explosive forces confined in a small space, and with the fervor of all religious movements in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-atwood/they-are-boiling-with-the-pressured-energy-of-explosive-forces/) [Margaret Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-atwood/) > [If we turn our backs on the remaining industries and not reinvest in these places and just say 'You're on your own,' we will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-fetterman/if-we-turn-our-backs-on-the-remaining-industries-and-not-reinvest-in/) [John Fetterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-fetterman/) > [“The fact that they viewed their wealth as a result of their own hands, without any honor other than lip service being given to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-goff/the-fact-that-they-viewed-their-wealth-as-a-result-of-their-own-hands/) [Lee Goff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-goff/) ## More by Brian Stelter > [Donald Trump has been planting seeds for over a year, warning supporters not to trust the government, the polls or the media, because it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-stelter/donald-trump-has-been-planting-seeds-for-over-a-year-warning/) [Brian Stelter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-stelter/) > [For a broad, star-powered picture like 'The Interview,' a big-tent release in 2,000 to 3,000 theaters is the top choice for a movie studio…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-stelter/for-a-broad-star-powered-picture-like-the-interview-a-big-tent/) [Brian Stelter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-stelter/) > [Interviewers, even the ones that support the person they're interviewing, have an obligation to probe further and push back when a candidate says something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-stelter/interviewers-even-the-ones-that-support-the-person-they-re/) [Brian Stelter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-stelter/) > [These communities that are losing local news coverage are losing something deeper. They're losing a connection to American democracy. And those connections must be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-stelter/these-communities-that-are-losing-local-news-coverage-are-losing/) [Brian Stelter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-stelter/) > [Some journalists are schmucks, in it for themselves, willing to cut corners. But in my experience the vast majority of journalists are trying to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-stelter/some-journalists-are-schmucks-in-it-for-themselves-willing-to-cut/) [Brian Stelter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-stelter/) > [News outlets use words like erratic, volatile, unstable but rarely are Trump's words and actions covered as a whole and rarely do news outlets…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-stelter/news-outlets-use-words-like-erratic-volatile-unstable-but-rarely-are/) [Brian Stelter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-stelter/) > [It's not as if Trump is addicted to the best-researched, most in-depth, meticulously sourced material in the world. If he were, we'd all be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-stelter/it-s-not-as-if-trump-is-addicted-to-the-best-researched-most-in-depth/) [Brian Stelter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-stelter/) > [The political system, folks, is rigged. It's a rigged, disgusting, dirty system.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-stelter/the-political-system-folks-is-rigged-it-s-a-rigged-disgusting-dirty/) [Brian Stelter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-stelter/) > [Many Republicans knew that Trump's anti-media attacks were damaging, and they cringed when his White House was consumed by his own narcissism. They knew…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-stelter/many-republicans-knew-that-trump-s-anti-media-attacks-were-damaging/) [Brian Stelter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-stelter/) > [The leaders of Fox News will never say this out loud, but they believe that their media empire is bigger than President Trump.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-stelter/the-leaders-of-fox-news-will-never-say-this-out-loud-but-they-believe/) [Brian Stelter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-stelter/) > [Trump's war on the nation's news media, his war on truth, his war on reality ultimately caused him to become the first U.S. president…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-stelter/trump-s-war-on-the-nation-s-news-media-his-war-on-truth-his-war-on/) [Brian Stelter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-stelter/) > [I keep hearing from readers who say 'Hoax' helps them understand their own family a little bit better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-stelter/i-keep-hearing-from-readers-who-say-hoax-helps-them-understand-their/) [Brian Stelter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-stelter/) > [Trump might think that Fox needs his star power, and on the margins it's true that Trump appearances and interviews are right-wing ratings boosters.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-stelter/trump-might-think-that-fox-needs-his-star-power-and-on-the-margins-it/) [Brian Stelter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-stelter/) > [Rarely, if ever, has a cable news channel employed a host who has previously campaigned for the business goals of the channel's parent company.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-stelter/rarely-if-ever-has-a-cable-news-channel-employed-a-host-who-has/) [Brian Stelter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-stelter/) > [Trump has broken the news system because he has found ways to go out there, get attention, say a lot of things that are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-stelter/trump-has-broken-the-news-system-because-he-has-found-ways-to-go-out/) [Brian Stelter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-stelter/) [Explore all 110 Brian Stelter quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-stelter/) ## More Community quotes > [Race is the idea that a human being is more superior than another human being, race in society grants illusional rights to mistreat each…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-limn/race-is-the-idea-that-a-human-being-is-more-superior-than-another/) [Jeremy Limn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-limn/) > [But we are convinced that if we are to play a meaningful role nationally, and in the community of nations, we must be second…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikram-sarabhai/but-we-are-convinced-that-if-we-are-to-play-a-meaningful-role/) [Vikram Sarabhai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikram-sarabhai/) > [In the hearing world, I'm constantly having to lip-read and trying to understand what's going on. 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Reich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-a-reich/) [Browse all 13,840 Community quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/community/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Intelligence agencies, congressional leaders, and outside experts have all assessed that Russia was responsible for a sweeping attack on the US election in 2016. 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