We just reported on how the New York Times was bashing Mike Bloomberg over his debate ad where he asks if anyone had started a business like him and no one answers. His ad extended the silence, focused on the empty faces and added crickets, but was at its essence, essentially true, that they had not answered.

Oh, that the New York Times could be as true.

While they were bashing Bloomberg for his ad, they were putting out a story that once again, seemed designed to make President Donald Trump look bad but began to be debunked today. The 24-48 hour rule with media like this.

The story that broke yesterday claimed that lawmakers had received an intelligence briefing at which they were told that Russia was trying to interfere in the 2020 election in order to help Trump win.

According to the report, the president was complaining that the Democrats might exploit the news.

Of course, then they did. From sketchy report to Democrats (or was it from Democrats to the New York Times) and back again?).

This here is peak Schiff.
Wow, look at this story randomly coming across the transom. It's very troubling, if true. pic.twitter.com/A04HriRLWV

— Chuck Ross (@ChuckRossDC) February 21, 2020

Talk about spreading disinformation. Notice how Schiff is indeed immediately “weaponizing” the sketchy report.

So then of course, on Friday, the report began to fall apart.

Even CNN’s Jake Tapper called it out in his reporting, citing a national security official source who he knew and trusted. The classified briefing happened last Thursday and was conducted by Shelby Pierson, the Intelligence Community election threats executive under the acting Director of National Intelligence Joseph Maguire.

From Washington Examiner:

“What’s been articulated in the news is that the intelligence community has concluded that the Russians are trying to help Trump again. But the intelligence doesn’t say that,” Tapper’s source said. “The problem is Shelby said they developed a preference for Trump. A more reasonable interpretation of the intelligence is not that they have a preference, it’s a step short of that.”

The national security official added that “it’s more that they understand the president is someone they can work with, he’s a dealmaker. But not that they prefer him over” his Democratic opponents.

“So it may have been mischaracterized by Shelby,” Tapper’s source said.

Trump disputed it too.

“Another misinformation campaign is being launched by Democrats in Congress saying that Russia prefers me to any of the Do Nothing Democrat candidates,” Trump tweeted Friday.

Now CBS’ Catherine Herridge is debunking the report as well with her source. Herridge’s source said there was nothing to back up the claim, “briefers had none to offer.”

Source familiar w/house briefing @CBSNews says briefers pressed for evidence to back up claims Russia “trying to help POTUS in 2020.” Asked if there was signals intelligence – such as phone intercepts or “SIGINT” – to back up claims, source said briefers had none to offer #DNI

— Catherine Herridge (@CBS_Herridge) February 21, 2020

Yet, how many people now believe this story because of the New York Times and Schiff weaponizing it?

Good for Jake Tapper and the always reliable Catherine Herridge for calling it out.

But this stuff is likely going to ramp up as the ‘non-biased’ media reports ‘objectively’ on the election.