The 2024 presidential election is already hanging in the balance with questions about President Biden’s mental acuity. Add to that the word today that Russia and Iran are seeking to influence the outcome.
“Iran is becoming increasingly aggressive in their foreign influence efforts, seeking to stoke discord and undermine confidence in our democratic institutions, as we have seen them do in the past, including in prior election cycles,” Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines said today.
That much was on the record. On background, intelligence officials told reporters on a conference call on Tuesday that Russian propagandists are planning to use social media to sway U.S. public opinion in key swing states.
“We are beginning to see Russia target specific voter demographics, promote divisive narratives and denigrate specific politicians,” an official from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence said on the call, according to reporting from CNN.
You can guess who the Iranians and Russians want to win.
Think: the guy who wants the U.S. out of NATO, whose son-in-law thinks he has the secret to peace in the Middle East.
U.S. Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., the chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, issued a statement on today’s warnings in which he encouraged Americans to “stay informed and alert.”
The problem there: he seems to be thinking that we’re already “informed and alert”; most of us aren’t, which is how propaganda works.
“Social media, in particular, continues to be a popular vector for foreign covert influence attempts, and our adversaries remain focused on stoking social, racial, and political tensions among Americans. The best thing Americans can do to help safeguard our election is avoid succumbing to nefarious foreign efforts to create division and sow chaos,” Warner said.
Left unsaid: there’s enough division and chaos as it is, without inviting the Iranians and Russians in to create and sow more.
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Chris Graham
