Russian agents apparently engaged in operations to undermine Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz
Hillary Clinton was not the only one to find herself on the wrong side of Russian agents in 2016, according to Special Counsel Robert Mueller's Friday indictment of 13 Russian nationals and three Russian entities in connection with interfering in the presidential election. The Internet Research Agency, a shady entity often referred to as a "Russian troll farm," allegedly supported "the presidential campaign of then-candidate Donald J. Trump and [disparaged] Hillary Clinton," the documents claim.
As it turns out, Republican Sens. Marco Rubio (Fla.) and Ted Cruz (Texas), who were running for the Republican nomination as well, were apparently also targeted:
Rubio first claimed he was targeted by Russian hackers during a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing last spring: "In July 2016, shortly after I announced I'd seek re-election to the U.S. Senate, former members of my presidential campaign team who had access to the internal information of my presidential campaign were targeted by IP addresses with an unknown location within Russia," Rubio said. "That effort was unsuccessful. I do think it's appropriate to divulge this to the committee, since a lot of this has taken a partisan tone."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Ted Cruz's campaign spokesman, Ron Nehring, had also realized something was fishy. "If I had said something critical about Marco Rubio, or John Kasich, or Ben Carson, there was no response on Twitter whatsoever, dead," Nehring told Roll Call in October. "However, if I was critical of Donald Trump, I would get a torrent of negative comments on Twitter."
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.
-
Today's political cartoons - December 21, 2024
Cartoons Saturday's cartoons - losing it, pedal to the metal, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Three fun, festive activities to make the magic happen this Christmas Day
Inspire your children to help set the table, stage a pantomime and write thank-you letters this Christmas!
By The Week Junior Published
-
The best books of 2024 to give this Christmas
The Week Recommends From Percival Everett to Rachel Clarke these are the critics' favourite books from 2024
By The Week UK Published
-
Nobody seems surprised Wagner's Prigozhin died under suspicious circumstances
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
Western mountain climbers allegedly left Pakistani porter to die on K2
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
'Circular saw blades' divide controversial Rio Grande buoys installed by Texas governor
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
Los Angeles city workers stage 1-day walkout over labor conditions
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
Mega Millions jackpot climbs to an estimated $1.55 billion
Speed Read
By Catherine Garcia Published
-
Bangladesh dealing with worst dengue fever outbreak on record
Speed Read
By Catherine Garcia Published
-
Glacial outburst flooding in Juneau destroys homes
Speed Read
By Catherine Garcia Published
-
Scotland seeking 'monster hunters' to search for fabled Loch Ness creature
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published