US Elections – The U.S. intelligence community believes the Kremlin will direct its propaganda efforts to support former President Donald Trump over Vice President Kamala Harris in the presidential election, an intelligence official indicated on a media call Monday.
Iran is likely to continue to try to denigrate Trump, the official said, and China doesn’t appear to have a preference in the presidential race but may try to interfere in congressional races.
The call, held by the Foreign Malign Influence Center, one of the few arms of the U.S. government devoted to countering foreign propaganda campaigns, elaborated on an agency alert about foreign propaganda campaigns released Monday afternoon.
The official’s remarks were the clearest sign yet that the U.S. believes Trump remains Russia’s preferred candidate even after President Joe Biden dropped out of the race and Harris became the presumptive Democratic nominee.
A spokesperson for Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs didn’t respond to an email requesting comment. A spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry said at a regular briefing in Beijing on Tuesday that “China has never interfered, nor will it interfere, in U.S. elections.”
A spokesman for the Iranian mission to the United Nations in New York said in a statement to The Wall Street Journal: “Iran does not engage in any objectives or activities intended to influence the U.S. election,” adding that the accusations are “psychological operations designed to artificially pep up election campaigns.”
