What we need to realize is that a fake story about our Pres elect became embedded in a dossier kept by our “intelligence” agencies, aided and abetted by John McCain who provided them with the false information. And then made its way into print!
Yes, but it’s worth noting that when Trump was briefed about the dossier, it was presented to him not as fact but as an example of disinformation that was in circulation about him. So the intel people, at some point and apparently at high levels, realized it was bogus. The media must have realized or suspected that it was bogus too since they sat on it for months without releasing it. The biggst dupes seem to be the never Trumpers like McCain.