As former President Donald Trump appeared poised to secure re-election early Wednesday, MSNBC host Rachel Maddow warned that the United States’ traditional intelligence-sharing relationships could be at risk.

Shortly before Fox News projected Trump as reaching the 270 electoral votes necessary to secure the presidency, Maddow predicted potential consequences for America’s alliances, claiming that allies might end intelligence sharing if the U.S. shifts its stance on the Ukraine-Russia conflict.

Maddow expressed concern that a new Trump administration would shift toward a pro-Russia or neutral stance on the war in Ukraine, which she argued could effectively mean “supporting Russia.”

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She went on to suggest that such a shift would jeopardize longstanding intelligence alliances, including the “Five Eyes” network—an intelligence-sharing alliance comprising the U.S., the U.K., Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

“Intelligence sharing between America and our traditional allies is likely going to end,” Maddow said. “The whole Five Eyes thing is likely going to end if you’ve got America switching sides in the Ukraine-Russia war to instead support Russia or to become neutral, which means in this case would be to support Russia.”

Maddow further referenced reports alleging communications between Trump’s campaign associates and Russian contacts. “If you’ve got ongoing secret communications even out of government between the Republican nominee and the person who funded his campaign and led his ground game, right? Both of whom are communicating with the Russian government without reporting that information to the U.S. government,” Maddow asserted.

She also highlighted a recent report from The New York Times, which suggested that a potential Trump administration could consider altering security clearance protocols, potentially foregoing background checks on some personnel. “On top of that, you’ve got reporting… that they’re considering… to stop performing background checks before giving people security clearance,” Maddow said, indicating concern about the security risks of “giving classified information to anyone.”

Maddow’s comments reflect longstanding suspicions within some media circles regarding Trump’s alleged connections to Russia.

During Trump’s first term, similar allegations were frequently discussed on MSNBC, often featuring Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff of California.

The controversial Steele Dossier, which played a role in these discussions, was ultimately discredited after extensive investigations.

Maddow also speculated that a specific Trump campaign official with a controversial background could be involved in a second administration. “That’s supposedly at the instigation of a Trump campaign official who was born in Moscow, who was unable to get a security clearance in the first Trump term, who has had multiple arrests and is reportedly on top of a short list to be White House counsel,” Maddow stated, further alleging that this official proposed eliminating background checks for security clearances.

Maddow’s remarks come amid an ongoing legal backdrop for Trump, who has faced multiple indictments, including charges brought by special counsel Jack Smith related to the handling of classified documents.

In July 2023, Smith’s office unsealed a superseding indictment that included charges against Carlos De Oliveira, a maintenance worker at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, in addition to earlier charges against Trump and his aide Walter Nauta.

As the election results continue to unfold, the implications of these developments remain under scrutiny, with allies and analysts alike monitoring what a new Trump administration may mean for both U.S. foreign relations and intelligence-sharing partnerships.

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