US Election 2020: Counterintelligence Says Russia, Iran and China Influencing Americans

The director of NCSC say the coronavirus pandemic and recent protests in the US are used to influence the voters.

As the United States of America is headed for the presidential election, a senior intelligence official has shockingly warned that Russia, Iran and China reportedly going to target the polls. William Evanina, the director of the National Counterintelligence and Security Centre (NCSC), noted that the Office of the Director of National Intelligence is reporting back to Congress about the foreign threats to the upcoming elections.
Donald Trump and Putin
US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin Wikimedia commons

Evanina warned that several foreign nations continue to use different measures to sway the U.S. voters' preferences and perspectives. By doing this, they are undermining confidence in America's democratic process.

In a released statement via The Hill, Evanina further added that the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and recent protests in the States are used to influence the voters.

"At this time, we're primarily concerned with China, Russia, and Iran — although other nation-states and non-state actors could also do harm to our electoral process. Our insights and judgments will evolve as the election season progresses," Evanina further warned.

For the last couple of months, Washington and Beijing have been clashing on several issues. President Trump has repeatedly referred coronavirus to as "China virus" and has blamed it for all the economic losses the United States is currently facing.

Evanina added that China is reportedly using different influences to shape the policy environment in the United States and these efforts could affect the presidential race.

China says US trade orders should respect international rules
A combination of file photos showing Chinese President Xi Jinping (L) in London's Heathrow Airport, October 19, 2015 and (R) U.S. President Donald Trump listening to questions from reporters in New York, US. Reuters

Back in 2016, there were several reports that suggested Russia's interference in the 2016 United States election. At that time, the CIA, FBI, and National Security Agency jointly reported with high confidence that the Russian government conducted a sophisticated campaign to influence the presidential election.

While talking about Russia and Iran, Evanina stated that these countries are using internet trolls and proxies to spread disinformation to undermine the elections. "Our adversaries also seek to compromise our election infrastructure, and we continue to monitor malicious cyber actors trying to gain access to U.S. state and federal networks, including those responsible for managing elections."

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