Foreign interference in the upcoming general election is a very real threat.
The U.S. intelligence community on Friday warned that China, Russia, and Iran are all seeking to interfere in the 2020 election in their own way, according to Fox News.
It’s happening
The announcement was made on Friday by Bill Evanina, the Director of the National Counterintelligence and Security Center.
“Ahead of the 2020 U.S. elections, foreign states will continue to use covert and overt influence measures in their attempts to sway U.S. voters’ preferences and perspectives, shift U.S. policies, increase discord in the United States, and undermine the American people’s confidence in our democratic process,” Evanina wrote.
Evanina, according to Fox, wrote that China will be looking to help Biden win because “Chinese officials view him as unpredictable, and has been attempting to influence the election and shape policy by pressuring political figures who they view as opposed to Chinese interests.”
Russia, in contrast, wrote Evanina, “is using a range of measures to primarily denigrate former Vice President Biden and what it sees as an anti-Russia ‘establishment.’”
“This,” explained Evanina, “is consistent with Moscow’s public criticism of him when he was Vice President for his role in the Obama Administration’s policies on Ukraine and its support for the anti-Putin opposition inside Russia.”
Lastly, Evanina said that Iran is seeking to “divide the country” and to “undermine” democratic institutions and President Trump. Evanina explained:
Iran’s efforts along these lines probably will focus on online influence, such as spreading disinformation on social media and recirculating anti-U.S. content. Tehran’s motivation to conduct such activities is, in part, driven by a perception that President Trump’s reelection would result in a continuation of U.S. pressure on Iran in an effort to foment regime change.
Trump responds
During a press conference on Friday, reporters asked President Donald Trump about these threats.
“Well, we’re going to look at it very closely,” said Trump. “You’re telling me that this came out a little while ago, and I’ve heard that it came out. It came out just a little while ago, and we’re going to look at that very closely.”
The president went on to suggest that China is the biggest threat of all and that, in contrast to what Evanina said, Russia wants Biden to win because, according to Trump, “nobody has been tougher on Russia than I have, ever.”
Between these foreign threats and mail-in-voting, it is unlikely that the integrity of our general election has ever been under greater attack.
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