The Biden administration is preparing to accuse Russia of a “sustained effort” to influence the results of the 2024 presidential election while President Putin has expressed his support for Democratic candidate and Vice President Kamala Harris.
Russian election interference in the United States has been an important facet of election integrity for politicians and voters.
On Wednesday, the Biden administration announced several actions it is taking against a Russian government-backed effort to influence the 2024 presidential election.
The administration has unveiled criminal charges against two Russian nationals, will put in place sanctions on 10 individuals and entities, and plans to seize 32 internet domains.
These steps mark the Biden administration’s most significant response to Russian intelligence targeting American voters in an attempt to influence the presidential election.
Three Russian companies have used fake profiles to promote false narratives on social media, according to the U.S. Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco. This happened under the direction of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
According to an FBI affidavit, the propaganda effort was designed to boost the candidacy of whoever emerged as the Republican nominee.
While the documents do not mention former President Donald Trump by name, the U.S. intelligence community has said that Russia’s preferences for the United States presidential race have not changed since 2020 when another effort to support Trump against Biden was backed by the Russian government.
Another FBI affidavit released on Wednesday revealed a Kremlin-backed effort to use fake news stories to defame U.S. politicians that support Ukraine in the war against Russia. The documents point to the Russian government’s plan to target swing state voters with disinformation including “risk of job loss for white Americans” and a threat of crime from “Ukrainian immigrants”.
The Biden administration’s plans for sanctions against Russia come after it accused Iran of attempting to hack into both the Trump and Harris campaigns last month.
On the heels of the news of Biden’s planned sanctions, Vladimir Putin expressed his support of Vice President Kamala Harris over former President Donald Trump leading up to the November election.
“Our ‘favorite’, if you can call it that, was the current president, Mr. Biden. But he was removed from the race, and he recommended all his supporters to support Ms. Harris. Well, we will do so – we will support her,” Putin said at the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok. “She laughs so expressively and infectiously that it means that she is doing well.”
Putin’s statement has been interpreted as a way to stir the pot of American politics, rather than a genuine endorsement for Kamala Harris.
