{"id":599246,"date":"2021-07-21T15:36:27","date_gmt":"2021-07-21T19:36:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=599246"},"modified":"2021-07-21T15:36:29","modified_gmt":"2021-07-21T19:36:29","slug":"media-silent-as-biden-contradicts-u-s-intelligence-on-china-remember-how-they-reacted-when-trump-did-that-on-russia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/media-silent-as-biden-contradicts-u-s-intelligence-on-china-remember-how-they-reacted-when-trump-did-that-on-russia\/","title":{"rendered":"Media Silent As Biden Contradicts U.S. Intelligence On China. Remember How They Reacted When Trump Did That On Russia?"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">38<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fmedia-silent-as-biden-contradicts-u-s-intelligence-on-china-remember-how-they-reacted-when-trump-did-that-on-russia%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=599246&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><div><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/GettyImages-453444611-1.jpg?w=1200&amp;h=800&amp;ixlib=react-9.0.3\" class=\"ff-og-image-inserted\" \/><\/div>\n<p>President Joe Biden contradicted the public assessment of U.S. intelligence and its allies, essentially letting China off the hook for its role in a months-long series of cyberattacks against sensitive industries. Yet the media, which threw a feeding frenzy whenever an anonymous intelligence source disputed President Donald Trump, have had nothing to say about the 46th president\u2019s latest <em>faux pas<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>In January, hackers associated with China\u2019s Ministry of State Security (MSS) reportedly launched a cyberespionage attack targeting at least <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/world-asia-china-57889981\">30,000<\/a> organizations. In addition to seeking vital information for defense-related industries, they shook down private-sector firms by using ransomware. (The Chinese Communist Party <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailywire.com\/news\/malicious-smears-china-rejects-hacking-claims-as-fabricated-after-biden-admin-blames-ccp-for-microsoft-cyber-attack\">denies<\/a> any role in the attack; NPR helpfully noted that China <a href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/2021\/07\/20\/1018283149\/china-blames-united-states-for-cyberattacks\">leveled countercharges<\/a> against the U.S. government.)<\/p>\n<p>This week, the administration condemned Beijing for the attack but, unlike with Russia\u2019s SolarWinds hacking, Biden <em>did not<\/em> impose sanctions against China. On Monday, a reporter asked President Biden why he\u2019s \u201cnaming and shaming China\u201d without taking concrete action. \u201cWhat is your understanding of the biggest difference between what [China has] done versus what Russia has done in terms of cyber hacking?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Biden <a href=\"https:\/\/www.whitehouse.gov\/briefing-room\/speeches-remarks\/2021\/07\/19\/remarks-by-president-biden-on-the-economy-3\/\">replied<\/a>, \u201cLook, to the best of my knowledge \u2014 and I\u2019m getting a report tomorrow morning on this, a detailed report \u2014 my understanding is that the Chinese government, <em>not unlike the Russian government<\/em>, is not doing this themselves, but are protecting those who are doing it and maybe even accommodating them being able to do it.&nbsp; That may be the difference.\u201d (Emphasis added.)<\/p>\n<p>Forget the fact that Biden\u2019s statement is self-refuting: Biden said the difference is that they are doing the same thing. Notice that it contradicts his intelligence community\u2019s conclusions \u2014 including an announcement his administration made the previous evening.<\/p>\n<p>During a background media call with an unnamed \u201csenior administration official,\u201d a reporter asked whether U.S. intelligence could \u201cspecifically blame the Microsoft Exchange Server attack on these MSS-affiliated hackers.\u201d The official <a href=\"https:\/\/www.whitehouse.gov\/briefing-room\/press-briefings\/2021\/07\/19\/background-press-call-by-senior-administration-officials-on-malicious-cyber-activity-attributable-to-the-peoples-republic-of-china\/\">replied<\/a> that the government had \u201chigh confidence\u201d that the attack took place \u201cvery much with the Ministry of State Security\u2019s knowledge.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Even as President Biden raised questions about China\u2019s culpability, his secretary of State affirmed it. \u201cThe United States government, alongside our allies and partners, has formally confirmed that cyber actors affiliated with the MSS exploited vulnerabilities in Microsoft Exchange Server in a massive cyber espionage operation,\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/www.state.gov\/responding-to-the-prcs-destabilizing-and-irresponsible-behavior-in-cyberspace\/\">said<\/a>&nbsp;Secretary of State Antony Blinken&nbsp;on Monday.<\/p>\n<p>U.S. allies followed suit, as a series of highly coordinated <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/microsoft-exchange-hack-biden-china-d533f5361cbc3374fdea58d3fb059f35\">statements<\/a> rolled out from Canada, the UK, Australia, Japan, New Zealand, NATO, and the European Union. (While EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell would only note the hacking was \u201cconducted from the territory of China,\u201d the UK\u2019s intelligence agency charged with overseeing cybersecurity <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncsc.gov.uk\/news\/uk-allies-hold-chinese-state-responsible-for-pervasive-pattern-of-hacking\">blamed<\/a> the Microsoft Exchange hacking on a group of \u201cChinese state-backed actors\u201d named HAFNIUM.<\/p>\n<p>Yet President Biden still raised the possibility that China was not responsible and, thus, maybe should not suffer from U.S. sanctions. And while he said he would have more information by Tuesday, President Biden has yet to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/search?q=china+site%3Awhitehouse.gov&amp;client=safari&amp;rls=en&amp;source=lnt&amp;tbs=cdr%3A1%2Ccd_min%3A7%2F20%2F2021%2Ccd_max%3A&amp;tbm=\">update<\/a> his remarks \u2014 nor has he been asked to do so.<\/p>\n<p>Compare the media\u2019s lackadaisical treatment of a public dispute between the president and the intelligence assessment of the entire world vis-\u00e0-vis China with its laser-like focus on President Donald Trump\u2019s long-running spat with often-anonymous U.S. intel officials. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/2018\/07\/18\/630123093\/trump-again-contradicts-intelligence-officials-says-russia-not-targeting-u-s\">NPR<\/a>, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2020\/12\/19\/us\/trump-contradicts-pompeo-over-russias-role-in-hack.html\">New York Times<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/politics\/trump-claims-great-progress-on-isis-north-korea-after-intelligence-officials-present-less-optimistic-view\/2019\/01\/30\/e95b74c6-23b7-11e9-90cd-dedb0c92dc17_story.html\">The Washington Post<\/a>, and nearly every other news outlet covered the allegations breathlessly. In 2019, Axios\u2019 Shannon Vavra wrote a compilation <a href=\"https:\/\/www.axios.com\/all-the-times-trumps-intelligence-officials-contradicted-him-297059c4-1f7a-44e4-9621-67c74c47f486.html\">titled<\/a> \u201cAll the Times Trump\u2019s intelligence officials contradicted him.\u201d Time magazine in 2019 <a href=\"https:\/\/time.com\/5518947\/donald-trump-intelligence-briefings-national-security\/\">published<\/a> a dire warning from anonymous intelligence agents that President Trump \u201cis endangering American security with what they say is a stubborn disregard for their assessments.\u201d And, of course, last May Business Insider triumphantly <a href=\"https:\/\/www.businessinsider.com\/trump-coronavirus-wuhan-lab-claim-intelligence-disease-experts-contradict-report-2020-5\">announced<\/a>, \u201cIntelligence officials and disease experts are shooting down Trump\u2019s claim that the US has good reason to believe the coronavirus originated in a Wuhan lab.\u201d&nbsp;CNN kept it up even&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/06670674-f1ac-48c7-b81f-1aeff8f5ba04\/Intelligence%20report%20contradicts%20claims%20by%20Trump%20and%20his%20team%20on%20China%20election%20interference\">after Trump left office<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>But those assessments mostly involved a Republican and Russia. Now that a Democrat has muddied the waters regarding China, there has been \u2014 to this point \u2014 exactly <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/opinion\/biden-refutes-us-intelligence-agencies-on-china-hacking\">one article<\/a> on the topic: by Tom Rogan of The Washington Examiner.<\/p>\n<p>Incredibly, some in the media twisted President Biden\u2019s statement into its logical opposite in order to avoid criticizing him. Bloomberg News, founded by Biden\u2019s 2020 Democratic primary rival Michael Bloomberg,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bloomberg.com\/news\/articles\/2021-07-19\/eu-denounces-china-over-cyberattacks-that-hit-microsoft-server\">claimed<\/a> that \u201cPresident Joe Biden told reporters at the White House on Monday that the investigation isn\u2019t finished but that the Chinese government bears responsibility.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Unlike Trump, President Biden did not make his statement standing a few inches away from a world leader moments after a summit. Biden was alone in front of the press. His comments raise disconcerting questions among Americans, who want both accurate information and competent government protection from foreign threats.<\/p>\n<p>Is Biden receiving regular intelligence briefings? When President Trump <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/politics\/breaking-with-tradition-trump-skips-presidents-written-intelligence-report-for-oral-briefings\/2018\/02\/09\/b7ba569e-0c52-11e8-95a5-c396801049ef_story.html\">opted<\/a> to take his intelligence briefings verbally rather than in writing, The Washington Post warned that \u201ccould hamper his ability to respond to crises in the most effective manner.\u201d (NPR even <a href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/2020\/06\/28\/884407572\/trump-denies-briefing-on-russian-bounties-reportedly-placed-on-u-s-troops\">objected<\/a> when President Trump announced he had not been briefed on \u201cRussian bounties,\u201d which turned out to be <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailywire.com\/news\/u-s-intels-claim-that-russia-put-bounties-on-u-s-troops-softens-biden-harris-used-it-to-attack-trump\">erroneous<\/a>.) But this doesn\u2019t appear to be a concern with President Biden, who graciously <a href=\"https:\/\/www.inquirer.com\/politics\/election\/joe-biden-kamala-harris-presidential-daily-brief-intelligence-briefing-20201130.html\">shares<\/a> his access to the Presidential Daily Brief with Vice President Kamala Harris.<\/p>\n<p>Is it possible that President Joe Biden is disregarding the intelligence to bend policy outcomes to his preferences? That was the subtext of every story about President Trump: He owes his fortune and his illegitimate election to the Kremlin and its subcontracted, <a href=\"https:\/\/money.cnn.com\/interactive\/media\/the-macedonia-story\/\">Macedonian content farmers<\/a>. \u201cTrump\u2019s businesses are full of dirty Russian money,\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/outlook\/trumps-businesses-are-full-of-dirty-russian-money-the-scandal-is-thats-legal\/2019\/03\/29\/11b812da-5171-11e9-88a1-ed346f0ec94f_story.html\">said<\/a> The Washington Post. The fact that Hunter Biden has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailywire.com\/news\/hunter-biden-was-due-significant-pay-from-china-firm-starting-in-2019-requested-10-million-in-2017-reports\">substantial<\/a> business dealings with China, including some hammered out <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailywire.com\/news\/trump-escalates-calls-for-investigating-biden-corruption-scandal-in-major-way\">during<\/a> then-Vice President Biden\u2019s official junket to Beijing, seems curiously absent from the media\u2019s non-coverage of this story.<\/p>\n<p>This is just another example of the media\u2019s blatant double standard, but one with weighty consequences for international relations and U.S. national security. The president\u2019s actions pose serious questions that demand an answer. Unfortunately, they are unlikely to be asked for at least another three years.<\/p>\n<p><em>The views expressed in this piece are the author\u2019s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p><em>The Daily Wire is one of America\u2019s fastest-growing conservative media companies and counter-cultural outlets for news, opinion, and entertainment. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a&nbsp;<\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailywire.com\/subscribe\"><em>member<\/em><\/a><em>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>President Joe Biden contradicted the public assessment of U.S. intelligence and its allies, essentially letting China off the hook for its role in a months-long series of cyberattacks against sensitive &#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2315279,"comment_status":"close","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-599246","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/599246","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=599246"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/599246\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2315279"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=599246"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=599246"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=599246"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}