U.S. authorities issuing more foreign interference warnings as election nears

Lawmakers from both parties have voiced worries about the nation's preparedness for foreign disinformation during the presidential election and the impact it has on democracy.

U.S. officials who track disinformation campaigns say they have issued more warnings to political candidates, government leaders and others targeted by foreign groups in recent months as America’s adversaries seek to influence the outcome of the 2024 election.

Without giving specifics, an official from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence said Wednesday that the number is higher, at least in part, because “presidential elections draw more attention from our adversaries.”

The increase in warnings, which began last fall, could also reflect a growing threat or the government’s improved detection capabilities or both, said the official, who was one of several to brief reporters on condition of anonymity under ground rules set by the office of the director.

Lawmakers from both parties have voiced worries about the nation’s preparedness for foreign disinformation during the presidential election and the corrosive impact it has on voter confidence and trust in democratic institutions. They also have questioned whether the federal government is up to the task of warning voters when nations like Russia and China use disinformation to try to shape American politics.

Influence operations can include disinformation and propaganda designed to mislead voters about specific candidates, issues or races. It can also include social media posts or other digital content that seeks to suppress the vote through intimidation or by giving voters false information about election procedures.

Officials say the list of nations launching such campaigns includes familiar foes like Russia, China and Iran as well as a growing number of second-tier players like Cuba. They also noted indications that some nations allied with the U.S. could mount their own campaigns aimed at influencing voters.

Russia was the top threat, one of the officials said, noting that its main objective was to degrade public support for Ukraine as well as decrease confidence in American democracy in general.

China is considered to be more cautious about its online disinformation campaigns and more concerned than Russia about potential blowback from the U.S., officials said. Iran is seen as a “chaos agent” that is more likely to experiment with online techniques to stoke voter anger and even violence.