Miranda Devine on the Russia Hoax, Intelligence Agencies, and NYC Politics

The Russia Hoax and Intelligence Agencies

• 🎯 Miranda Devine and Jesse Kelly discuss the ongoing "Russia Hoax," suggesting that individuals involved are now worried about federal prosecutors.
• 💡 James Clapper has reportedly lawyered up, and there are unconfirmed reports of John Brennan seeking to move to Ireland, indicating potential legal jeopardy.
• 🔍 Tulsi Gabbard is credited with using AI to compile extensive dossiers of evidence, making the case against those involved in the hoax more concrete.
• 🔑 The Director of National Intelligence (DNI) role is described as both a coordinating function for intelligence agencies and a position of immense power, capable of demanding information and accessing archives.
• ⚠️ The Intelligence Community Assessment (ICA) from January 2017, which claimed Russian intervention in the 2016 election, is scrutinized. It's suggested that John Brennan drove this assessment, insisting on the inclusion of the unverified Steel Dossier.
• 📉 This assessment, rushed through before the presidential transition, is seen as having sabotaged Donald Trump's presidency by labeling him illegitimate and a puppet of Vladimir Putin.
• 🏛️ John Ratcliffe is highlighted for his work in reviewing intelligence archives to uncover how the ICA was manipulated.

New York City Politics and Elections

• 🗳️ The upcoming New York mayoral election is discussed, with concerns that 'Mandani' (likely referring to a candidate like Adams or a similar figure) might win due to voter apathy and vote-splitting among other candidates.
• 🏙️ New York is described as a city that has watched itself decline since the Giuliani and Bloomberg eras, with De Blasio being a disaster and Eric Adams an improvement from a very low base.
• 🚧 The city's status as a sanctuary city and the influx of illegal immigrants are cited as significant problems, straining resources and impacting the political landscape.
• 📉 The candidacies of Cuomo and Curtis Sliwa are mentioned as potentially splitting the non-'Mandani' vote, increasing the chances of an 'accidental mayor' scenario similar to De Blasio's.