Democratic leaders say an intelligence assessment issued Friday on foreign election interference “doesn’t go far enough” in providing Americans with enough information ahead of the 2020 presidential election, reports The Hill.
“The statement just released by NCSC Director William Evanina does not go nearly far enough in arming the American people with the knowledge they need about how foreign powers are seeking to influence our political process,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said in a joint statement with House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff, D-Calif., and Senate Intelligence Committee Vice Chairman Mark Warner, D-Va.
Evanina warned that foreign actors, including China, Russia and Iran, “compromise the private communications” of candidates and political campaigns, “seek to compromise our election infrastructure” and “continue to use influence measures in social and traditional media in an effort to sway U.S. voters’ preferences and perspectives, to shift U.S. policies, to increase discord and to undermine confidence in our democratic process.”
Russia is using a “range of efforts” to “spread disinformation in the U.S.” while China is focusing on “expanding its influence efforts to shape the policy environment in the United States, pressure political figures it views as opposed to China’s interests, and counter criticism of China.”
Iran is using online influence, including “recirculating anti-U.S. content” in an attempt to divide the country ahead of the elections.
Democrats say Evanina’s statement “gives a false sense of equivalence to the actions of foreign adversaries by listing three countries of unequal intent, motivation and capability together.”
“The statement, moreover, fails to fully delineate the goal, nature, scope and capacity to influence our election, information the American people must have as we go into November.”
Solange Reyner ✉
Solange Reyner is a writer and editor for Newsmax. She has more than 15 years in the journalism industry reporting and covering news, sports and politics.
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