Thursday, 22 October 2020_US Senate Intelligence Committee chairman Marco Rubio and vice chairman Mark Warner are blaming the country’s “adversaries” over the divide in the nation ahead of the 2020 presidential election.
“Our adversaries abroad seek to sow chaos and undermine voters’ belief in our democratic institutions, including the election systems and infrastructure that we rely on to record and properly report expressions of the voters’ will,” they claimed. “They may seek to target those systems, or simply leave the impression that they have altered or manipulated those systems, in order to undermine their credibility and our confidence in them.”
The United States has been gripped with protests and chaos ahead of the November race amid the nation’s long-time struggle to fight police brutality and systemic racism.
“As we enter the last weeks before the election, we urge every American – including members of the media – to be cautious about believing or spreading unverified, sensational claims related to votes and voting,” they added. “State and local election officials are in regular contact with federal law enforcement and cyber security professionals, and they are all working around the clock to ensure that Election 2020 is safe, secure, and free from outside interference.”
US Director of National Intelligence (DNI) John Ratcliffe was more forthright in his claim, directly pointing the finger at Russia and Iran.
“We have identified that two foreign actors, Iran and Russia, have taken specific actions to influence public opinion relating to our lessons,” Ratcliffe claimed. “Do not allow these efforts to have the intended effect. If you receive an intimidating, or manipulative email in your inbox. Don't be alarmed and do not spread it.”