Fox News Flash top headlines for August 7
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MSNBC producer Kyle Griffin is facing backlash over a tweet that suggested foreign interference in the fall election could only benefit President Trump.
On Friday, Director of the National Counterintelligence and Security Center William Evanina issued a statement warning that multiple countries may attempt to put their thumbs on the scale in November.
"We assess that Russia is using a range of measures to primarily denigrate former Vice President Biden and what it sees as an anti-Russia 'establishment,'" Evanina wrote. "This is consistent with Moscow's public criticism of him when he was Vice President for his role in the Obama Administration's policies on Ukraine and it's support for the anti-Putin opposition inside Russia ... Some Kremlin-linked actors are also seeking to boost President Trump's candidacy on social media and Russian television."
However, according to Evanina, Russia isn't the only bad actor that may attempt to influence the outcome of the election.
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"We assess that China prefers President Trump -- whom Beijing sees as unpredictable -- does not win reelection," the intelligence director stated. "China has been expanding its efforts ahead of November 2020 to shape the policy environment in the United States, pressure political figures it views as opposed to China's interests, and deflect and counter criticism of China."
Evanina also states that Iran "seeks to undermine U.S. democratic institutions, President Trump, and to divide the country in advance of the 2020 elections," using online influence like "spreading disinformation."
Griffin, a senior producer of MSNBC's "The Last Word," shared a headline from The Associated Press that only highlighted Russia's apparent efforts to hurt Biden but did not mention China and Iran's eagerness to undermine Trump.
"WASHINGTON (AP) — US intelligence says Russia is using a range of measures to denigrate Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden," Griffin tweeted to his more than 800,000 Twitter followers.
Griffin, who has previously shared misleading tweets about Trump, was accused of omitting crucial findings from Evanina's statement in a bid to revive the Russia collusion narrative from the 2016 election.
"Were there any other countries mentioned by US [sic] intelligence?" pollster Frank Luntz sarcastically asked.
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"The report said China and Iran are hoping Biden wins, but you won't mention that because it goes against your narrative and deep thirst for Resistance clicks," NewsBusters managing editor Curtis Houck told Griffin.
"What’s interesting is that both China and Iran hope Trump loses," Jewish Institute for National Security of America senior policy analyst Erielle Davidson wrote. "Kyle conveniently left that out, despite the fact that China and Iran pose a far larger threat to US [sic] national security than Russia alone and its crippled economy,"
Griffin was blasted in June for only posting a small excerpt of President Trump's remarks about chokeholds.
During an interview with "Outnumbered: Overtime" anchor Harris Faulkner, Trump was asked for his views on certain police reform measures following the death of George Floyd.
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"I don't like chokeholds," Trump began. "And I will say this ... sometimes when you're alone and you're fighting somebody, it's tough. And you get somebody in a chokehold, what are you gonna do, say 'Oh,' and it's a real bad person and you know that and they do exist. ... If you have two people or in the case, we're talking about four people ... it's a very, very tricky situation."
He later continued, "I think the concept of chokeholds sounds so innocent, so perfect, and then you realize -- if it's a one-on-one -- now if it's a two-on-one, it's a little bit of a different story depending on the toughness or strength ... but if a police officer is in a bad scuffle and he's got somebody on a chokehold --"
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"Well, if it's a one-on-one fight for the life, that's what you're saying," Faulkner clarified.
"Yeah," Trump responded. "So you have to be careful. With that being said, it would be, I think, a very good thing that, generally speaking, it should be ended."
"Trump on Fox: 'I think the concept of chokehold sounds so innocent, so perfect,'" Griffin tweeted in a post which was shared by several journalists and even members of the Biden campaign.