By The opinion
Feb 25, 2024, 7:16 PM EST
The White House national security advisor, Jake Sullivan acknowledged that “of course there are concerns” about possible Russian interference in the 2024 presidential election.
“This is not about politics,” Sullivan told NBC News’ “Meet the Press.” “This is about national security. “This is a foreign country, a foreign adversary, seeking to manipulate the politics and democracy of the United States of America.”
He also said that the administration Biden will be “vigilant” to avoid interference in the elections and will “involve Congress in a bipartisan manner, because this should be above and beyond politics.”
National Security Agency Director Gen. Paul Nakasone told an audience in New York last month that the war in Ukraine has not diminished Russia’s desire to manipulate the election outcome.
Even, US intelligence concluded that Russia was able to distort public perception in the 2016 presidential race, helping Donald Trump defeat Hillary Clinton (a claim Trump has called a “hoax”) and that Vladimir Putin authorized Russian agents to meddle in 2020.
“The Russian state and proxy actors serving Kremlin interests worked to affect American public perceptions.”, according to a declassified US intelligence report.
Sullivan’s comments come as senior US intelligence and national security officials warn that despite Russia’s war with Ukraine, the country will continue to try to interfere in US elections.
In October, the United States released an intelligence analysis to countries around the world alleging that Russia was using spies, state media and social media to affect elections around the world, not just in the United States.
Russia is not the only country trying to wreak havoc, a Microsoft analysis found last year. According to the company, threat actors in Iran and China are also using artificial intelligence to try to coordinate cyber attacks.
Sullivan’s comments come after the October 2022 release of a US intelligence report that alleged Russia made a “concerted effort” in recent years to undermine elections, including in the United States.
Republicans have scrutinized such assessments by US intelligence, including a 2017 report from US agencies that said Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential election to help Donald Trump win.
The 2017 analysis was criticized for not being objective, and the House Intelligence Committee later released a report that contradicted earlier findings and said there is “no evidence that the Trump campaign conspired, coordinated or colluded with the Russian government.
“This is not about politics,” Sullivan said. “This is about national security. “This is a foreign country, a foreign adversary, seeking to manipulate the politics and democracy of the United States of America.”
“We’re going to keep an eye on that,” Sullivan said. “We will engage Congress on a bipartisan basis because this should be above and beyond politics.”
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