Actually the first giveaway was when everybody began shouting Russia, Russia, Russia simultaneously
They needed a sacpegoat and Russia came to mind before thinking it through
Panic clouds the mind
It makes perfect sense. If someone at NSA was the source of the hack the agency would be toast as both dems and reps would demand it be abolished. They have every incentive to misdirect any way they can.
Once the style and methodology of their propaganda is known (like “shouting Russia Russia Russia simultaneously,”) it becomes fairly easy to recognize it as propaganda and to avoid falling for it.