The discussion highlights a recurring pattern in U.S. election cycles where allegations of foreign interference, particularly Russian, serve as smokescreens for domestic interference. In 2016, the narrative around Russian election interference was notably tied to the Steele dossier, which obscured underlying domestic actions. Similarly, in 2020, the suppression of the Hunter Biden laptop story was framed as a response to Russian disinformation, despite it being orchestrated by U.S. entities. Both instances illustrate a mechanism where domestic interference is masked by foreign narratives, diverting attention from the actual sources of influence and undermining the electoral process.