(RepublicanDaily.org) – For nearly three years after Donald Trump claimed the White House in 2016, the words “foreign election interference” were never far from the headlines. Unable to deal with the idea that Trump had won the Electoral College, many commentators insisted he had colluded with Russia to cheat his way to victory.
The infamous Mueller Report could find no proof this was the case. However, it did show that foreign actors had made attempts to subvert the voting process. We cannot say with certainty how successful these attempts were, or who exactly was behind them, but they did happen.
So, were there any such attempts this time around? In short, yes. Iran, Russia, and China all attempted to hack American computer systems, looking to influence the election. They also spread various types of misinformation.
Iran
Iranian hackers were behind a misinformation campaign aiming to damage the reputation of Conservatives. They imitated the far-right group known as the Proud Boys and emailed American voters, encouraging them to vote for Trump. This aimed to create an association between Conservatives and racist groups.
Russia
Experts believe Russian actors were the biggest perpetrators of foreign election interference this year. American agents detected several Russian attempts to discredit the integrity of our voting systems through misinformation. They also undertook an extensive hacking program, with one recent attack targeting hospital systems.
China
China’s detected attempts at misinformation this year did not appear to favor one candidate over another (though analysts agree a Biden presidency would be preferable for the Chinese). Instead, they criticized America as a whole, attempting to portray our country as a fallen power.
It’s important to remember the United States will always be a target of attacks like these. It’s not surprising that foreign countries took these steps to subvert our electoral process. In light of this, it’s good to see our intelligence agencies are up to the job of uncovering these interference attempts and informing the public about them.
Copyright 2020, RepublicanDaily.org
