Topic: Cynthia Mcfadden

NBC News correspondent Cynthia McFadden reported that U.S. intelligence chiefs did not actually brief Donald Trump on the specific salacious contents of the Steele dossier during a classified meeting. This contradicts earlier reports and suggests the information was only an unverified addendum to the main report on Russian interference.

The hosts analyze an NBC story claiming the U.S. used the Red Phone because of fears that Russia would take down the electrical grid. They highlight a quiet admission at the end of the segment by Cynthia McFadden that the massive October internet outage was actually not orchestrated by Russia. They conclude the entire "grid threat" narrative was baseless.

NBC News correspondent Cynthia McFadden reported on "clandestine actions" taken by the U.S. to protect the 2016 election. The report featured dramatic descriptions of cyber experts working from top-secret underground bunkers to monitor voting infrastructure. Russian officials responded to the claims by demanding the U.S. provide proof of hacking or "shut up."

NBC News investigative correspondent Cynthia McFadden reports that U.S. intelligence officials believe Vladimir Putin was personally involved in directing the use of hacked Democratic materials. The report suggests Putin's motivations included a vendetta against Hillary Clinton and a desire to split U.S. allies. The hosts criticize the inclusion of Putin's alleged $85 billion net worth in the report as a "gratuitous slam" intended to bias the audience.