These remarks by Trump, and similar claims made by many of his appointees, seek to achieve the same goal: playing the principle that China is interfering in Biden’s election, while denying confirmed reports that Russia is trying to help. Trump won again, as he did in 2016.
“The very little evidence we have about China’s troll-farm activity, with its bout and all of its people, seems to favor Vice President Biden, trying to make life very difficult for President Trump – as well as fueling protests. Is., Of course, “said Chang. “I think Beijing has decided to vote for the Democratic Party candidate.”
It was not immediately clear where Chang’s information came from, but the U.S. government and Silicon Valley have not released a public assessment of the alleged undisclosed Chinese troll farm activity, similar to the actions he announced.. Chang asked CNN to comment on the source of the information he quoted. Did not respond to a request for.
Only the public comments of these groups about election interference on social media have focused on pro-Trump activity linked to the Kremlin.
In addition, the article seems to run counter to what US intelligence officials said to protect the 2020 election from foreign interference.
But as the intelligence community has shaped whether China and Iran choose to lose Trump in November, officials have given no indication to date, that any country, like Russia, will act on that choice, according to intelligence-released statements. Familiar source with community and underlying evidence.
“We assess that China prefers President Trump – whom Beijing sees as unpredictable – he will not win re-election. China is expanding its influence efforts beyond November 2020 to shape the policy environment in the United States, pushing politicians.” Is what he sees. Opposes China’s interests, and reacts and reacts to China, “said Bill Ivanina, the top US intelligence official on election security, in an unprecedented public statement issued last month.
“China will weigh the risks and benefits of aggressive action,” Ivena said, but to date has been engaged in explicit efforts, mainly to increase public criticism of the current administration on non-election-related issues, including its coronavirus. Response and move to close the Beijing Consulate in Houston
Russia, on the other hand, It is using a series of measures primarily to discredit former Vice President Biden and what he sees as an anti-Russian establishment, Ivanina wrote in the same statement.
“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 his role in anti-Putin support,” Ivanina said. “Some actors affiliated with the Kremlin are also seeking to increase President Trump’s candidacy on social media and Russian television.”
John Cipher, a former CIA official, told CNN that there is a clear difference in the way Ivanana is characterized by the threats posed by China and Russia.
“The simple difference is on the one hand between covert interference and public choice. China is using influence, diplomacy and commentary in the press and propaganda organs. As part of the covert operation Russia is using disinformation, fake accounts, B, To and undisclosed funds.” Told CNN.
Blurring the line
While Republicans continue to raise concerns about China’s influence efforts targeting Americans, several sources familiar with the briefing provided to lawmakers told CNN that there is clear evidence that Beijing is actively interfering in the election or taking specific steps to promote a candidate. done. Others.
Instead, intelligence and election security officials, privately and publicly, have focused on the pervasive threat posed by China, insisting that Beijing employs a variety of “malicious strategies” that could affect the 2020 race.
“China is engaged in a very practical malicious foreign influence campaign, and its methods include bribery, blackmail and undisclosed deals. Chinese diplomats also use both open, naked economic pressure and seemingly independent mediation to force Chinese choices on American officials. ” Chris Ware said in July.
But Trump has repeatedly blurred the line between those broader national security concerns and allegations that China is actively interfering in the election. At the same time, he has ignored warnings from the intelligence community about ongoing efforts by Russia to “defame” Biden.
Last week, Trump retweeted a post by his handpicked intelligence chief, John Ratcliffe, director of national intelligence, linking the misleading Fox News story to the headline: “China’s interference in anti-Trump election raises new alarms.”
Trump officials are wary of similar threats from Russia and China
The tweet from Trump on Monday came after suggestions that it had been misled by many of its national security officials that there was evidence that China was the next US ally. Is actively interfering in the elections, while various agencies around Russia’s daily efforts have denied the action, citing it as an immediate concern. 2020 presidency.
National Security Adviser Robert O’Brien said Friday he agrees “100%” with Attorney General William Barr’s statement that China is more aggressive in its efforts to influence the 2020 election than other malicious actors, including Russia, but with less evidence to back down.
“First, you have China, which has the biggest program to politically influence the United States, you have Iran, and you have Russia,” O’Brien told reporters during a news briefing at the White House on Friday. Is. These are three opposing countries that want to disrupt our elections. ”
“Some of them like Biden; some say some of them like the president,” he said, specifically voicing that some are pushing for Biden but some are pushing for Trump. Are expressing little doubts about. “My position is that it doesn’t matter what these countries want, that any country that tries to interfere in the free and fair elections in the United States must be stopped.”
In an interview with CNN’s Wolf Blitzer on Wednesday, in addition to highlighting the threat posed by China, Bar went out of his way to humiliate the intelligence community’s assessment that Russia is again actively interfering in U.S. elections.
“I acknowledge that there are some preliminary activities that suggest they may try again,” Barry said of Russia. “I wouldn’t be surprised if Russia tries something again about this same genre first.”
Sen. Richard Burr, a North Carolina Republican who chaired most of the Senate Intelligence Committee’s investigations into Russian election interference, said in a statement last month after the panel released its bipartisan findings. “I hope that this report and the work of this committee will give the American people a better understanding of the threats to our nation and the steps needed to prevent them.”
But the Trump campaign and some Republicans responded to the report with backlashing criticism and insistence that “no alliance has been made”, instead questioning whether American politics in 2020 could still be sensitive to foreign scattering and interference.
That response, along with recent comments denying Russia’s ongoing efforts, prompted Democrats to urge the president and his allies to consider the risk of foreign intervention before November. Said to have been accused of misrepresenting what the intelligence shows.
Cipher, who has covered the CIA’s 28-year career as the agency’s chief executive in Russia, called Trump’s comments about China a “pure stance.”
“If someone says Russia is bad, Republican politicians could point to a major geopolitical threat from China. True, but not related to the issue of electoral interference. Only one power is trying to spoil the election.”
House Intelligence Chairman Schmidt has accused Trump officials of “lying,” including intelligence, while intelligence indicates that China is actively interfering.
“If you look at what he said in his public written statement, Ivanina, the director of intelligence who runs the National Anti-Counterterrorism Center, said that Russia was actively intervening, taking active part in many measures to influence the outcome. If you look at it, you can tell that Bill Burr has lied to the American people, and it’s sad but it’s that simple, “he told CNN’s Dana Bash.
The California Democrat also said he is confident he has seen the same intelligence as Burr and other top officials who have said China is intervening more aggressively than Russia.
Vivian Salama of CNN contributed to this report.
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