When the headlines scream “treasonous conspiracy” and the dignity of American democracy hangs in the balance, it’s no wonder that 77% of adults identify the future of the country as a main source of stress based on recent surveys. This latest declassification show, with Tulsi Gabbard’s blockbuster release of a House Intelligence Committee report, is precisely the kind of news that can stop even the most rugged citizen in his tracks. But learning the facts and how to protect your peace can make you stay strong when political storms brew.
1. What the Declassified Report Actually Says
The move by Tulsi Gabbard to declassify a Republican House Intelligence Committee report has ignited intense controversy. In a White House press briefing, Gabbard said that the report contains “egregious weaponisation and politicisation of intelligence,” implying that the Obama administration was involved in a “treasonous conspiracy” to undermine the 2016 election. The report insists the CIA “did not adhere to the tenets” of analytic standards, basing its finding on “one scant, unclear, and unverifiable fragment of a sentence” within one of the below-standard reports that Russia’s Vladimir Putin wanted Trump to win.
But the report has little to disprove the then-broader US intelligence community view that Russia tried to influence the vote for Trump. As put by former President Barack Obama spokesman Patrick Rodenbush: “No information released undermines the widely held finding that Russia tried to shape the 2016 presidential election but did not successfully tamper with any votes.”
2. How This Differs From Past Intelligence Estimates
It must be mentioned that the conclusions of the new report run counter to those reached by the CIA, a bipartisan Senate committee, and the broader intelligence community. The 2017 analysis, undertaken at the order of President Obama in the aftermath of the election, had concluded that Russia sought to damage Hillary Clinton’s campaign and aid Trump, using bot farms and hacking into Democratic emails. The Senate Intelligence Committee’s 2020 bipartisan report also revealed that Russia had sought to assist the Trump campaign. It was “reasonable, transparent and openly debated” that the agencies had been in disagreement regarding Putin’s intentions, and all the witnesses witnessed “no attempts or pressure to politicize the findings.”
3. The Reality of Intelligence Declassification
Intelligence is not a matter to simply turn on and off. Routine screening for declassification is conducted by Executive Order 13526 within 25 years unless they have strict exemption criteria such as revealing the name of a secret source or injuring national security under the National Security Agency. Declassification, however, does not mean mandatory public disclosure; even classified information may be withheld. The process is actually aimed at balancing openness and the need to protect the nation, and includes checks and balances like the Interagency Security Classification Appeals Panel.
4. Why Political News Feels So Personal
If you find your heart pounding upon hearing news of alleged conspiracy theories or intelligence failures, you are not alone. More than 60% of registered voters consider politics a chief source of anxiety, and nearly three-quarters are afraid of violence at elections according to the APA’s 2024 Stress in America report. Political anxiety is distinct from general fretting, typically triggered by ambiguity, high-stakes information, and an attitude that everything is more than you can handle.
5. How to Deal with Political Stress
Experts concur: politics-induced chronic stress can drain both physical and mental health. But there are some defenses against it. The Jed Foundation suggests anticipating a demand for increased self-care during elections, distancing yourself from negative feelings, and being mindful of returning your focus to the here and nowwith simple grounding techniques. Reducing screen time, particularly when news cycles never let up, can decrease emotional overload.
6. The Power of Social Connection
Feeling alone in the news? Social isolation can truly hurt, research indicates. Finding connection with others with similar values can enhance physical and mental health. Just reaching out to someone who is also in pain will make you both feel less alone. As clinical psychologist Steven Stosny explained, “When we’re anxious, we have a tendency to isolate ourselves, but we must extend ourselves and connect.”
7. Transforming Stress into Positive Action
It is natural to want to recover a sense of mastery when the news is overwhelming. Action here, voting registration, volunteering, or having civil conversations can be employed to transform anxiety into something good. And while controlling negative emotions is important, positive emotions like admiration, inspiration, and appreciation can also spark civic engagement without the same cost in well-being.
8. Keeping the Larger Perspective in Mind
Despite the churn, studies show that emotional blows from political instability will dissapate in due course for most people. While the 24-hour news cycle is making it increasingly difficult to log off, discovering balance between staying informed and protecting your peace is critical. As Jayme Renfro, PhD, put it, “There’s something distinctive about the way politics is stressing us out” but there’s also resilience in the way with which Americans bounce back and move forward.
Staying calm and focused, focused on what you can control, and removing yourself from the commotion can help you weather even the most incredible political scandals.
