US Warns of Foreign Interference in Congressional Races

One month away from the US presidential election, the US intelligence community is observing foreign interference campaigns at both a local and national level.

In an early October security update, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence’s (ODNI) Foreign Malign Influence Center warned about online influence campaigns coming from Russia, China and Iran.

The advisory, published on October 7, precisely 30 days before the vote, outlines observed interference operations targeting both the presidential and congressional races.

In this document, the ODNI also shared some influence campaigns it expects to see during and after the vote that will aim to undermine trust in US democratic processes, such as questioning the validity of the election’s results after the polls close.

“Foreign actors are almost certainly considering the possibility of another contested presidential election and a tight contest for control of both the Senate and the House of Representatives,” said the document.

“They will likely take advantage of such an opportunity to use similar tactics in a post-election period to undermine trust in the integrity of the election, election processes, and further exacerbate divisions among Americans,” the ODNI said.

Russia, Iran Target Presidential Race

The ODNI has observed efforts from Russia and Iran to shape voters’ preferences toward specific presidential candidates.

Russian-aligned campaigns tend to be in favor of Donald Trump, while Iran-attributed operations support Kamala Harris, the agency added.

It also assessed that China is not seeking to influence the presidential election.

China, Russia Target Congressional Races

However, the ODNI said China is seeking to influence congressional races with candidates – regardless of party affiliation – perceived by Beijing to threaten its core interests, especially in relation to Taiwan.

Russia is also conducting influence campaigns targeting congressional races in order to encourage US voters to oppose pro-Ukraine policies and politicians.

“Russian influence actors have planned and likely created and disseminated content, particularly over social media, intended to encourage the election of congressional candidates Moscow assesses will oppose aid to Ukraine,” the ODNI explained.

Iranian influence operations targeting congressional races have not been observed.

Finally, the ODNI said that the US intelligence community is monitoring other foreign actors, such as Cuba, who are conducting or have considered influence operations to support or oppose specific candidates.

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