For decades, Moscow has sought to weaken the United States by sowing discord among Americans and undermining public trust in democracy. But the past few years have given Russian mischief-makers the biggest return on investment since the Cold War. And contrary to the ubiquitous narrative blasted across the media wires nightly, Donald Trump and his administration were only part of the story.

Indeed, the most consequential conduit for Vladimir Putin’s objectives were those public men and women in the media and government who supercharged and disseminated the most extreme conspiracy theories, including those contained in the infamous and discredited Steele dossier as well as the supposition that Trump was a literal Manchurian candidate controlled by a hostile foreign power. So dismayed by Trump’s 2016 election victory, these useful idiots enthusiastically injected these toxins into the body politic, betraying the public’s trust in its institutions in the process. This latter point is likely to leave lasting damage.