Julian Assange Was a Journalist and He Harmed America

Because of his antipathy for the United States, Assange made common cause with Moscow, whose leadership is virulently anti-American. We should be deeply disturbed by the excesses the U.S. intelligence community has exhibited in recent years — whether it be illegal surveillance or the despicable attempt to overturn a legitimate presidential election in 2016 — but it’s also important to understand that most people in the intelligence community are patriots. They are trying to defend the country as best they can (often in spite of turgid political leadership and sclerotic bureaucracies). Thanks to Assange, their ability to defend the United States from severe threats posed by China and Russia has been hampered.