--- title: "Spy schools study US election interference claims" publication: "MediaBias News" url: "https://mediabias.news/politics/spy-schools-study-us-election-interference-claims" api: "https://mediabias.news/api/v1/stories/spy-schools-study-us-election-interference-claims" markdown: "https://mediabias.news/politics/spy-schools-study-us-election-interference-claims.md" audio: "https://mediabias.news/api/audio/spy-schools-study-us-election-interference-claims" category: "Politics" area: "United States" published: "2026-08-22T00:05:22.135Z" source_reported: "2026-08-21T23:23:14.753Z" updated: "2026-08-22T00:05:22.135Z" trust_score: 66 critic_score: 95 hype_score: 35 assessment_type: "coverage-and-source-reporting-analysis" fact_check_status: "not-performed" coverage_measured: "2026-08-22T22:00:22.189952+00:00" --- # Spy schools study US election interference claims *Barry Zulauf report on politicised intelligence becomes case study for foreign spycraft classes* **Scores for the source reporting** (0-100, assessing the original journalism this article was written from, not this write-up): - Trust 66 of 100, higher is better. Trust 66: named sources (Zulauf, Ratcliffe), cited 2021 report and memo, dates given, but only one original report. - Craft 95 of 100, higher is better. Critic 95: explains relevance, includes quotes, separates fact from comment, provides names/dates, notes unknowns, clear narrative. - Hype 35 of 100, lower is better. Hype 35: headline is sensational but body matches claim; language mildly emphatic, not clickbait. Scored by MediaBias News; method at https://mediabias.news/methodology. **The short version** - Spy schools in Italy, Canada, and Israel are using a 2021 report on politicised US intelligence as a case study, according to Barry Zulauf. - Zulauf, a former intelligence community watchdog, authored the report which concluded that senior officials manipulated intelligence regarding Russian and Chinese election meddling based on their views of Donald Trump. - The report noted that analysts were reluctant to present intelligence on China that might contradict the Trump administration's policies. - Former Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe stated in a memo that similar actions by Russia and China were assessed and communicated differently, suggesting China's interference was downplayed. Tradecraft classes in Italy, Canada, Israel, and other nations are studying how senior officials manipulated intelligence about Russian and Chinese election meddling based on their stance on Donald Trump, Barry Zulauf told the Daily Caller News Foundation. Zulauf, who formerly served as an internal watchdog for the intelligence community, authored a 2021 report concluding that the intelligence community massaged intelligence about Russian and Chinese election interference. He stated that his inquiry has become standard reference material for young spies in training. Zulauf's report indicated that analysts appeared reluctant to have their findings on China presented because they tended to disagree with the administration's policies. The report also stated that two intelligence officials raised concerns about Chinese election influence activities in October 2020, which other career analysts dismissed. CIA management pressured these officials to suppress these concerns, according to the report. A memo dated the day after Zulauf's report, written by then-Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe, stated that similar actions by Russia and China were assessed and communicated differently to policymakers. This potentially created the impression that Russia sought to influence the election but China did not. Zulauf's report also noted that career analysts resisted Ratcliffe's emphasis on China and opposed public remarks warning about election interference threats from China and Iran. ## Disagreement on official involvement Barry Zulauf confirmed to the Daily Caller News Foundation that his 2021 report implicated Deputy Director of National Intelligence Beth Sanner as one of the officials involved in politicising intelligence. However, the WND report notes that most documents Zulauf used remain classified, making it unclear precisely how Sanner politicised intelligence. The WND report also mentions a senior CIA official responsible for Trump's Presidential Daily Brief for two years is directly implicated in the 2021 report and is now a CNN contributor. ## What the coverage left out None of the right-rated reports mention the 2004 law requiring spies to produce reporting independent of political considerations, which was cited in the WND report. Additionally, none of the right-rated reports mention the specific actions taken by the intelligence community in the US, such as new instruction on politicisation added to Analysis 101 or a seminar on objectivity for the whole IC, as detailed in the WND report. ## Who covered it Shares of the 8 covering outlets with a published leaning rating: - Left: 0% (0) - Centre: 0% (0) - Right: 100% (8) 1 of 9 covering outlets carried no usable leaning rating and were excluded from those percentages. Coverage measured 2026-08-22T22:00:22.189952+00:00. **Coverage watch:** developing. Checked 89 times; 0 checks found a material change. Most recently checked 2026-08-22T23:00:16.174Z. ## How the sides framed it ### Left No separate framing summary. ### Centre No separate framing summary. ### Right - The right-rated reports led with the assertion that spy schools around the world are using the scandal of politicised US intelligence as a case study. They highlighted Barry Zulauf's statement that tradecraft classes in Italy, Canada, and Israel study how senior officials manipulated intelligence about Russian and Chinese election meddling based on their stance on Donald Trump. The reports also focused on Zulauf's 2021 conclusion that the intelligence community massaged intelligence regarding election interference. The WND report, which was a full report and not a digest, named Deputy Director of National Intelligence Beth Sanner as implicated in Zulauf's inquiry and noted a senior CIA official responsible for Trump's Presidential Daily Brief was also implicated. **Provisional coverage gap:** left. The watch is not closed, so this is not yet a settled blindspot finding. ## Factuality profile of the covering outlets These are published factuality ratings of the outlets, not a verdict on whether this story or its claims are true. - low: 3 - mixed: 4 - high: 1 - unknown: 1 ## Verification scope This page compares coverage and scores the source reporting. It is not a ClaimReview verdict on whether the underlying event or claim is true. ## Original reporting this was written from - [Geller Report](https://gellerreport.com/2026/08/spy-craft.html) — Deep State’s Election Interference Spin Is Now A Case Study In Spy Schools - [OpsLens](https://opslens.com/report-deep-states-election-interference-now-a-case-study-in-other-nations-spy-schools) — Report: Deep State’s election interference now a case study in other nations’ spy schools - [Restoring Liberty](https://joemiller.us/2026/08/deep-states-election-interference-spin-is-now-a-case-study-in-spy-schools) — Deep State’s Election Interference Spin Is Now A Case Study In Spy Schools - [Tennessee Star](https://tennesseestar.com/news/deep-states-election-interference-spin-is-now-a-case-study-in-spy-schools/dcnf/2026/08/21) — Deep State's Election Interference Spin Is Now a Case Study in Spy Schools - [WND](https://wnd.com/2026/08/report-deep-states-election-interference-now-case-study) — Report: Deep State’s election interference now a case study in other nations’ spy schools * WorldNetDaily * by Emily Kopp, Daily Caller News Foundation - [Bizpac Review](https://bizpacreview.com/2026/08/21/textbook-bias-deep-states-election-interference-spin-is-now-a-case-study-in-spy-schools-1655771) — Textbook bias: Deep State’s election interference spin is now a case study in spy schools - [ussanews.com](https://ussanews.com/2026/08/21/textbook-bias-deep-states-election-interference-spin-is-now-a-case-study-in-spy-schools) — Textbook bias: Deep State’s election interference spin is now a case study in spy schools - [The Daily Caller](https://dailycaller.com/2026/08/21/deep-state-election-interference-spin-spy-schools) — Textbook Bias: Deep State’s 2020 Election Spin Is Now A Case Study In Spy Schools - [Independent Journal Review](https://ijr.com/article/textbook-bias-deep-states-election-interference-spin-is-now-a-case-study-in-spy) — Textbook Bias: Deep State’s Election Interference Spin Is Now A Case Study In Spy Schools ## Questions **What is Barry Zulauf's report about?** Barry Zulauf's 2021 report concluded that senior officials within the US intelligence community manipulated intelligence concerning Russian and Chinese election meddling. The manipulation was reportedly based on their political stance towards former President Donald Trump. **Which countries' spy schools are studying this report?** According to Barry Zulauf, tradecraft classes in Italy, Canada, and Israel are using his report as a case study. Other nations are also reportedly studying the matter. **Who is implicated in the politicisation of intelligence according to the reports?** Barry Zulauf confirmed that Deputy Director of National Intelligence Beth Sanner was implicated in his report. The WND report also identified a senior CIA official responsible for Trump's Presidential Daily Brief as directly implicated. **How did former DNI John Ratcliffe assess China's actions?** In a memo, former Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe stated that similar actions by Russia and China were assessed and communicated differently to policymakers. This suggested that China's interference activities might have been downplayed compared to Russia's. --- MediaBias News — https://mediabias.news. Reproduced from https://mediabias.news/politics/spy-schools-study-us-election-interference-claims. Please cite as: MediaBias News, "Spy schools study US election interference claims", https://mediabias.news/politics/spy-schools-study-us-election-interference-claims