For the past two years, the mainstream media has reported hysterically on Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. To listen to their apoplectic rants, one would believe it was the first time the Russians had ever interfered in U.S. domestic affairs.

Although this falsehood played embarrassingly well with cable news audiences, one doesn’t have to consult a CIA historian to realize that Russia has actively engaged in meddling and disinformation operations for decades to sow discord among Americans and undermine their confidence in U.S. institutions.

The 2016 Russian disinformation campaign was indisputably Russia’s most successful anti-USA propaganda operation to date. It divided families, ruptured friendships, and caused millions of Americans to question the legitimacy of their country’s leader and the system that elected him.

However, Vladimir Putin’s golden arrow was not the half-million dollars of social media advertisements and posts that seeded this turmoil, it was Russian intelligence’s minor contribution to Christopher Steele’s dossier, solicited by the Hillary Clinton campaign. What’s painfully ironic is that it did not cost Putin a dime. In fact, he likely pocketed a few Rubles from it.

The Steele Dossier

This Steele dossier was the predication of the investigation into President Donald Trump, which has been at the epicenter of the country’s deep divide. The dossier was a weapon, but like all weapons, Putin needed hands to wield it: He needed accomplices. Who would put the weapon into action? Who would spread the deception to the American people and convince them that their lives and their country lay in the hands of a deranged lunatic who answered to a foreign power?

Apparently, Putin understood all too well the misplaced loyalties of the leadership Barack Obama placed in America’s judicial and intelligence institutions. He also understood the American media’s disdain for Republican presidents. He observed the escalation of the media’s attacks on Republican presidents since Ronald Reagan, and the media’s willingness to engage in lies and deception.

Although Putin is an intelligent and calculating villain, never in his wildest dreams could he have imagined such success from so little effort. It is likely he underestimated how hellbent the corrupt government officials and an unscrupulous media were to overturn the will of the American people.

Obama’s Deep State actors ran with Putin’s disinformation to initiate an unprecedented investigation on a sitting president—an investigation that lacked a shred of credible evidence to justify any level of investigation. Nonetheless, anything as illegal as an attempted soft coup predicated on knowingly false, malicious, unsubstantiated reports requires accomplices.

The perpetrators needed to convince the American people that their seditious activities had merit, so messaging to the American people needed to be consistent and repetitive. It required constant bombardment, day and night, of accusations bolstered by convincing charlatans to erode any doubt in the minds of the media audience that their outlandish accusations were true.

The Media’s Role

Working together and coordinating their false pretenses, the mainstream media were successful. They convinced a large portion of the American public that their elected president was illegitimate. They convinced many that their election system and their governing documents were flawed. In doing so, they fomented discord and pitted American against American. In short, the American media accomplished Putin’s goals.

We now know that neither President Trump nor anyone in his campaign or administration coordinated with Russia to influence the 2016 elections. We know that the Steele dossier, developed in collaboration with Russian intelligence operatives, was the basis for the investigation into President Trump. We are all aware of the damage this investigation and the false allegations made daily in the mainstream media did to the country in terms of financial costs, diverting attention and resources from real issues, while dividing the country.

In light of what has been learned, who should Americans blame for the fraud perpetrated on the country? Who should be the focus of the country’s ire? Putin? That would be be like sticking your hand in the lions cage and being angry at the lion for biting you. The finger should be pointed inward.

Those who serve in government positions should be trusted to do what is right and in the country’s best interests. The mainstream media should be trusted to inform the American people objectively and honestly. Both failed. However, the actions of a few bad apples in government, fueled by the accusations of a global foe, would not have been successful without the efforts of an army of journalists who worked tirelessly to convince the American people of a lie.

The sensible response of Americans would be to accept the phony Russian collusion story as a fraud and move on as a united country. Yet the mainstream media will not let this happen. They continue to hold the country hostage by continuing their baseless attacks. They continue to sow discord among Americans and undermine Americans’ faith in their government, all to Putin’s delight.

Putin will never change. He will continue to meddle in America’s domestic affairs and elections. He will continue to sow discord and undermine the U.S. government. Putin hardly needs to plant spies and engage in social media disinformation campaigns anymore. He’ll still do that, but that’s not where he’ll get the most bang for his buck.

Putin has found a loyal ally in America’s mainstream media. As he learned in 2016, he needs to do very little, as his collaborators will do his heavy lifting. As long as Putin and the American mainstream media share the same goals, America will remain divided. Unless Americans learn to change the channel.