US Intelligence shares Russia, China and Iran’s election interference info

Willian Evanina, director of the U.S. National Counterintelligence and Security Centre shared information on ongoing election influence efforts linked to Russia, China and Iran, before the 2020 U.S. elections.

He said, when it comes to who get nominated as POTUS after 2020’s U.S. presidential elections, each foreign government has their own agenda.

Evanina said, Russian actors are acting as part of what US intelligence sees as a concerted effort on both Russia television and media to support President Trump’s candidacy in 2020. Meanwhile, China wants the President Trump to lose this year presidential elections as it considers him unpredictable. Iran’s efforts are also against the Trump’s reelection seeing that his return to the While House would keep the current U.S. pressure for change of regime in the Middle Eastern country.

“Many foreign actors have a preference for who wins the election, which they express through a range of overt and private statements; covert influence efforts are rarer. We are primarily concerned about the ongoing and potential activity by China, Russia, and Iran.”

“This information is being released for the purpose of better informing Americans so they can play a critical role in safeguarding our election. 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. They may also seek to compromise our election infrastructure for a range of possible purposes, such as interfering with the voting process, stealing sensitive data, or calling into question the validity of the election results,” said Evanina.

Here are the full assessments shared by NCSC’s chief as “the most current, accurate, and objective election threat information” in the U.S. Intelligence Community (IC).

-CHINA – We assess that China prefers that President Trump – whom Beijing sees as unpredictable – does not win reelection. China has been expanding its influence efforts ahead of November 2020 to shape the policy environment in the United States, pressure political figures it views as opposed to China’s interests, and deflect and counter criticism of China. Although China will continue to weigh the risks and benefits of aggressive action, its public rhetoric over the past few months has grown increasingly critical of the current Administration’s COVID-19 response, closure of China’s Houston Consulate, and actions on other issues. For example, it has harshly criticized the Administration’s statements and actions on Hong Kong, TikTok, the legal status of the South China Sea, and China’s efforts to dominate the 5G market. Beijing recognizes that all of these efforts might affect the presidential race.    

RUSSIA – We assess that Russia is using a range of measures to primarily denigrate former Vice President Biden and what it sees as an anti-Russia “establishment.” This 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. For example, pro-Russia Ukrainian parliamentarian Andriy Derkach is spreading claims about corruption – including through publicizing leaked phone calls – to undermine former Vice President Biden’s candidacy and the Democratic Party. Some Kremlin-linked actors are also seeking to boost President Trump’s candidacy on social media and Russian television.    

IRAN – We assess that Iran seeks to undermine U.S. democratic institutions, President Trump, and to divide the country in advance of the 2020 elections. Iran’s efforts along these lines probably will focus on on-line 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.

This statement from Evanina is after the issue in July when he provided an overview of foreign threats to the U.S. 2020 presidential election. He said that time that the foreign advertisers were seeking to “compromise the private communications of U.S. political campaigns, candidates and other political targets”.

The foreign national sponsored actors were also coordinating the election interference on traditional and social media the both so as “to sway U.S. voters’ preferences and perspectives, to shift U.S. policies, to increase discord and to undermine confidence in our democratic process.”

“At the most basic level, we encourage Americans to consume information with a critical eye, check out sources before reposting or spreading messages, practice good cyber hygiene and media literacy, and report suspicious election-related activity to authorities,” he said.