US intelligence officials are closely monitoring the potential for Russian interference in the 2024 presidential election following the United States’ support for Ukraine, as stated by a senior FBI official. The FBI is concerned that the war in Ukraine and President Biden’s backing of Kyiv could embolden Russia to take more risks in interfering in the upcoming election. This concern is heightened due to the divide in US politics, with Democrats supporting Biden’s support for Ukraine and some Republicans, including former President Trump, backing away from foreign aid.
The FBI official shared these concerns during a briefing with reporters, which took place under the condition of anonymity. There is worry that with US military aid to Ukraine potentially being questioned in the upcoming election, Russia may be incentivized to meddle in the election more aggressively than in 2020. While Russia did interfere in the 2020 election by denigrating Biden and supporting Trump, their actions were not as extensive as in 2016. The comments made by the FBI official align with those made by a senior National Security Agency official in March, who expressed similar concerns about Russian interference in the upcoming election.
Furthermore, the FBI officials highlighted the potential threat posed by China and Iran in interfering with the 2024 US election. While China has considered conducting influence operations to change the outcome of the election in the past, they ultimately did not act on it. Iran, on the other hand, conducted a covert influence campaign aimed at undermining Trump’s election bid in 2020. The use of artificial intelligence by sophisticated state actors has increased their ability to scale up operations and build them out larger than before, posing a significant challenge to election security.
The FBI officials emphasized that Russia likely views US election infrastructure, including state and local government networks, as legitimate targets for cyber-espionage and data collection. This access could be utilized to undermine confidence in US election integrity and bolster influence operations. The concerns raised by US intelligence agencies regarding potential foreign interference in the 2024 election underscore the need for continued vigilance and efforts to secure the election process.
In conclusion, the upcoming 2024 presidential election presents a significant challenge for US intelligence officials, who are closely monitoring the potential for interference by Russia, China, Iran, and other hostile actors. The FBI is particularly concerned about the impact of US support for Ukraine on Russian behavior and the potential for increased interference in the election. Efforts to secure election infrastructure and combat foreign influence operations are critical to ensuring the integrity of the electoral process and the outcome of the election.
