The idea that Trump and Putin are in cahoots has been a popular theme this cycle, and while there is some evidence that Russia has meddled in our elections—such as the hacking of John Podesta’s emails—a lot of the stories have had very few legs to stand on.
Tonight, as Clinton’s assured victory starts to slip away, some have turned again to this narrative:
We may be living through the most successful Russian intelligence operation since the Rosenbergs stole the A-bomb.
— David Frum (@davidfrum) November 9, 2016
Let’s be clear: If Trump wins tonight, it will be solely the fault of Americans. Holding up Russia as a scapegoat won’t account for the very serious problems that brought us to this point. Even if Clinton wins, it looks like it will be close. And we’ll have no one to blame but ourselves.