How do we know that Putin didn’t favor Hillary more? He had 33,000 classified emails of hers. Pure blackmail. Right there you are FAKE news Kathleen.
“Given Russia’s well-established preference for Donald Trump over Hillary Clinton in 2016....”
Well established? By whom? Russia, if anything would have MUCH preferred to deal with Herself, whom they KNEW they could roll over with impunity, rather than Donald Trump, already known as a hard-edged dealer. I am sure the Russians had thoroughly studied Trump’s book, “Art of the Deal” long before he was actually elected to the Presidency, and their only objective in meddling in the US elections was to sow chaos and doubt as to the outcome, not that they favored one candidate over the other. Whichever candidate won, would always have this shadow following him (or her) around, was the election legitimate or not?
At that, I would say they were highly successful. But as to making things easier for themselves, not so good.