U.S. officials insist they're defending U.S. elections from Russia, despite Trump's reported indifference, anger

Special Counsel Robert Mueller's report details Russia's sophisticated, "sweeping, and systematic" campaign to interfere in America's 2016 election to aid President Trump, as well as the Trump campaign's receptivity to Russia's apparently ultimately fruitless overtures. U.S. intelligence and national security officials say they are working diligently to quash Russian attempts to meddle in the 2020 election.

U.S. spy and law enforcement agencies are "tracking cyber threats, sharing intelligence about foreign disinformation efforts with social media companies, and helping state election officials protect their systems against foreign manipulation," The Washington Post reports. But Trump's public skepticism of Russia's interference, private bristling at the implication his 2016 win is tainted by illegitimacy, and "lack of focus on election security has made it tougher for government officials to implement a more comprehensive approach to preserving the integrity of the electoral process, current and former officials said." The Post gives some examples from the past two years:

On the record, Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats and other officials say they have Trump's full and explicit support to counter Russian election attacks, but that doesn't mean they bother Trump with the details. "We don't seek daily validation from the White House on what our mission should be or is," one official tells the Post. 'We have clear authorities. We have budget. We're grown-ups here." You can read more about Trump and election security at The Washington Post.

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