If you actually think about it, the idea that the Russians somehow would prefer Trump to Clinton just doesn't make any sense:
-- Russia's main source of revenue comes from sales of oil and gas. Clinton likely would have not approved Keystone pipeline nor expanded oil exploration on federal lands; Trump made it clear during the campaign that he'd increase US energy production on many fronts, including Keystone approval and expanded drilling on federal land. Russians would have to completely ignore their own economic self-interest to prefer Trump to Clinton, "that dog don't hunt" as they say.
-- it is not unlikely that the Russians hacked Clinton's "private" email server and have copies of all her emails. If there were any emails that appeared to link donations to the Clinton Foundation to her actions as Secretary of State, they'd have prime blackmail material on her. Blackmail Trump, on the other hand? The man is a crude boor; if he wasn't derailed and embarrassed by the leaked Billy Bush tape, what makes anyone think that the Russians could blackmail him successfully?
-- who would be more likely to continue Obama's foreign policy? Under that policy, the Russians annexed Crimea, occupied Eastern Ukraine, and established a stronghold in Syria. Why would they not want more of the same?
What does make sense is that the Russians were trying to sow discord, disarray, and confusion into US politics; to get us so preoccupied with arguing with each other and strident finger-pointing that our attention would be deflected from other things going on in the world outside US political sniping. On that measure, they have been tremendously successful, and continue to become even more so: rather than address any serious issues that need attention, Congress is spending its time in a variety of "Russia" investigations. That keeps us stalled, uncertain, weak; which plays right into their hands.
