This archive report was first published on 1 July 2020.
On July 1, 2020, the White House dismissed reports of Russian bounties on American troops in Afghanistan, but remained silent on the matter of Russia's alleged support for the Taliban.
According to The New York Times, investigators are focusing on at least two attacks on American troops in Afghanistan, including a bombing and a firefight in April 2019 near Bagram Air Base that killed three Marines.
At a White House briefing for House Democrats, senior Trump officials, including White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, failed to provide clear explanations on the nuances of intelligence, leaving lawmakers frustrated.
Representative Adam Smith, Democrat of Washington and chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, expressed his concern, saying, 'They just wanted to make sure that we knew that the president didn’t know anything.'
Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe repeatedly stated that the events in question occurred before his tenure, which began in late May 2020.
