WSJ: US Intel Claims Russia Helping Trump

(John Locher/AP)

High-ranking United States intelligence officials claim Russia is covertly working to boost former President Donald Trump’s 2024 election efforts.

Senior officials said the Russian government has spearheaded a “whole-of-government” effort to influence the U.S. presidential election, The Wall Street Journal reported.

Officials described the activities as covert social media use and other online propaganda.

“We haven’t observed a shift in Russia’s preferences for the presidential race from past elections,” a senior official in the Office of the Director of National Intelligence told the Journal.

Officials said the Kremlin is focusing its efforts on influencing specific voting groups, especially those in swing states, and is working to influence members of Congress.

One senior official told the Journal that Russia hires commercial firms to hide its involvement and attempts to spread propaganda by “planting it with influential Americans.”

Officials speculate Russia will double down on its efforts to influence the race as November draws closer.

Iran has also become “increasingly aggressive” in its foreign influence efforts, specifically encouraging anti-Israel protesters, Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines said in a statement.

“We have observed actors tied to Iran’s government posing as activists online, seeking to encourage protests, and even providing financial support to protesters,” Haines said.

The same ODNI official said when it comes to China, it appears they are taking a hands-off approach to 2024.

“We assess China, for now, doesn’t plan to influence the outcome of the presidential race because it sees little gain in choosing between two parties that it perceives as both seeking to contain Beijing,” the official said.

Officials said the advent and accelerated use of artificial intelligence poses an even more layered risk to potential 2024 election interference, calling it “a malign influence accelerant.”

“We are monitoring foreign actors seeking to create deepfakes of politicians, flood the information space with false or misleading information, to sow doubt about what is real and to amplify narratives,” the ODNI official said.