One of the Mueller report's most important conclusions is that Russia did, in fact, interfere in the 2016 election "in sweeping and systematic fashion." This confirms the intelligence community's assessment that was issued in January 2017. Jared Kushner claims that the Mueller investigation was " 'way more harmful' than the interference itself, which he characterized as 'a couple Facebook ads.' " Jared Kushner is, as per usual, quite wrong.
One of Donald Trump's long-standing responses to questions about Russian interference is that other countries interfered as well - and, to be fair, he's not completely wrong. 2016 is in the past, however, and the 2020 race is starting to pick up steam, so it is worth asking: Which countries are likely to interfere in the next election?
To answer that question, you have to ask another question: Which countries have a serious stake in one of the two parties winning?
One would presume the first country that comes to mind is "Russia," but it is worth remembering the reason why Russia interfered in 2016. While the immediate aim was to aid Trump, the deeper purpose was to sow division and distrust in the United States. It is not immediately obvious whether Russia benefits from either Trump or a Democrat winning in 2020. True, any Democrat would be unlikely to have lots of warm feelings toward Russia. At the same time, it is not like the Trump administration has been all that friendly toward the Putin regime either. Trump's warm words count, but so do the ratcheted-up sanctions and the legacy of the Mueller report. Bilateral relations are not warming up anytime soon. If Russia interferes, it is less likely to take a side so much as foment even more distrust in the outcome.
No, my eye is looking at a different set of countries. I am less worried about U.S. rivals interfering in the 2020 election than I am about U.S. allies.
I've previously expressed concern about the political polarization of U.S. alliances. As I noted in a recent essay in Foreign Affairs, "Persistent domestic political polarization would encourage Middle Eastern allies, such as Israel and Saudi Arabia, to line up with Republicans and European allies, such as Germany and the United Kingdom, to back Democrats."
Lest you think I am exaggerating, consider Exhibit A:
"Just three weeks before Israel's closely fought election, President Trump gave incumbent Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a political boost by recognizing the Golan Heights as Israeli territory," The Washington Post reported April 23. "Now Netanyahu, who ended up winning, says he wants to repay him: by naming a new settlement there after him."