US intel reveals Russia plans to meddle in 2024 election

Ariana Baio
·2-min read
US intelligence officials are warning that Russia is trying to influence the 2024 presidential election (Getty Images)
US intelligence officials are warning that Russia is trying to influence the 2024 presidential election (Getty Images)

Russia will attempt to influence the 2024 US presidential election using familiar tactics like spreading misinformation online to subvert the public’s faith in the democratic election process, according to intelligence officials.

On Tuesday, officials in the Office of the Director of National Intelligence told reporters that Russia is using covert social media tactics like targeting voter groups in swing states with bot farms.

The goal, they said, is to drive a larger rift in domestic political ideology, promote mistrust in the electoral system and sway public opinion in favor of a certain candidate.

“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 said.

Though officials did not name a particular candidate, investigations into Russia’s interference in the 2016 election found that their strategies were aimed at helping Donald Trump.

Officials said the current activity is far less invasive than that in 2016, but Russia is likely to ramp up its efforts as the November election approaches.

The findings underline US intelligence officials’ concerns about foreign governments using social media or other online platforms to create domestic instability by furthering political divide or spreading disinformation.

Officials said they have observed efforts by Iranian government actors to escalate tensions within the US. by promoting protests or financially supporting protests regarding the war in Gaza. Though these actions do not have to do with the election directly, they contribute to heightening political tensions.,

A person reads a YouTube blog's update on US election misinformation in Los Angeles, June 2, 2023 (AFP via Getty Images)
A person reads a YouTube blog's update on US election misinformation in Los Angeles, June 2, 2023 (AFP via Getty Images)

“I know Americans who participate in protests are, in good faith, expressing their views on the conflict in Gaza – this intelligence does not indicate otherwise,” National Intelligence director Avril Haines said in a statement.

“Moreover, the freedom to express diverse views, when done peacefully, is essential to our democracy, but it is also important to warn of foreign actors who seek to exploit our debate for their own purposes,” Haines added.

Several US agencies are working to find and stop the social media disinformation campaigns.

The Department of Justice (DoJ) said on Tuesday they seized two domain names and 968 social media accounts used by Russian actors to create an AI-enhanced social media bot farm to spread disinformation. They released a joint advisory warning about the technology to stop future use.

  • Up next
  • Up next
  • Up next
  • Up next

Latest stories

  • Umno won’t be bitten twice by same ‘snake’, Zahid Hamidi says

    JOHOR BARU, July 27 — Umno president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi disclosed that several political parties indicated th...

  • Can Kamala’s knitting-obsessed, topless-modelling stepdaughter help her to the presidency?

    When Kamala Harris’s stepdaughter described what her parents thought of her tattoos and quirky hair, she said: “I think they’re all in the realm of, like: ‘I don’t understand it, but I want you to be who you want to be.’”

  • Two billionaire Harris donors hope she will fire FTC Chair Lina Khan

    Billionaire Democratic donors Barry Diller and Reid Hoffman said in interviews this week they hope Kamala Harris will replace Federal Trade Commission Chair Lina Khan if she becomes U.S. president, openly rejecting a pillar of President Joe Biden's antitrust policy. Khan has been at the forefront of the Biden administration's push to use U.S. antitrust law to boost competition and address high prices and low wages. Khan, who oversaw the FTC's ban on noncompete agreements, has drawn the ire of corporate groups, but won fans including Donald Trump's running mate, JD Vance, for her skepticism towards big business.

  • Settle differences within Perikatan, not publicly, Gerakan info chief tells PAS counterpart

    KUALA LUMPUR, July 28 — Gerakan has urged its fellow Perikatan Nasional (PN) component parties to resolve issues interna...

  • Kamala Harris’ VP Frontrunner Accused of Sex Harassment Cover-up

    One of the frontrunners to be Kamala Harris’ VP pick has been accused of covering up a sexual harassment scandal and being too insecure to be “second under a woman.”Josh Shapiro, the Democratic governor of Pennsylvania, has consistently topped lists of potential running mates for the Democratic nominee-apparent, someone who had previously shown no hint of providing material for Republicans to latch on to.But now a Democrat running to be Pennsylvania’s state treasurer has launched an attack on Go

  • I've studied past assassination attempts in US politics. The most similar one to Trump's resulted in a loss in the election.

    US historian and lecturer David Head outlines the presidential assassinations and attempts in US history and how the events impacted elections.

  • Italy and China sign a 3-year action plan as Italian leader Meloni tries to reset relations

    Italy and China signed a three-year action plan on Sunday to implement past agreements and experiment with new forms of cooperation, Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said on an official visit to the Chinese capital. Meloni is trying to reset relations with China as fears of a trade war with the European Union are interwoven with continued interest in attracting Chinese investment in auto manufacturing and other sectors.

  • Britain is 'broke and broken', new government declares

    Britain's government declared the country was "broke and broken" ahead of an assessment of the public finances on Monday which the newly-elected Labour Party will use to blame their predecessors for a 20 billion pound ($26 billion) shortfall. Elected to run the world's sixth largest economy in a landslide victory on July 4, Labour has spent much of its first three weeks in power telling the public that things are worse than expected in almost every area of public policy. Finance minister Rachel Reeves will set out the findings of a fiscal review in a statement to parliament that will accuse the Conservative Party - which led the country for the previous 14 years - of making unfunded spending commitments to try to win public support.

  • Putin warns the United States of Cold War-style missile crisis

    MOSCOW (Reuters) -Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday warned the United States that if Washington deployed long-range missiles in Germany then Russia would station similar missiles in striking distance of the West. The United States said on July 10 that it would start deploying long-range missiles in Germany from 2026 in preparation for a longer-term deployment that will include SM-6, Tomahawk cruise missiles and developmental hypersonic weapons. In a speech to sailors from Russia, China, Algeria and India to mark Russian navy day in the former imperial capital of St Petersburg, Putin warned the United States that it risked triggering a Cold War-style missile crisis with the move.

  • Israel vows to hit Hezbollah after rocket kills 12 on football field

    MAJDAL SHAMS, Golan Heights (Reuters) -Thousands of mourners attended funeral ceremonies on Sunday for the 12 children and teenagers killed by a rocket strike in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights as Israel vowed swift retaliation against the Hezbollah militia in Lebanon. Hezbollah denied responsibility for the attack on Majdal Shams, the deadliest in Israel or Israeli-annexed territory since Palestinian militant group Hamas' Oct. 7 assault sparked the war in Gaza. Israeli jets hit targets in southern Lebanon overnight but a stronger response was expected following a meeting of the security cabinet at 6 p.m. (1500 GMT).

  • Lawmakers from 6 countries say Beijing is pressuring them not to attend summit in Taiwan

    Lawmakers from at least six countries say Chinese diplomats are pressuring them not to attend a China-focused summit in Taiwan, in what they describe as efforts to isolate the self-governed island. Politicians in Bolivia, Colombia, Slovakia, North Macedonia, Bosnia and one other Asian country that declined to be named say they are getting texts, calls and urgent requests for meetings that would conflict with their plans to travel to Taipei, the island's capital. China vehemently defends its claim to Taiwan and views it as its own territory to be annexed by force if necessary.

  • Trump Tells Crowd 'You Won't Have To Vote' Again After Election In Bizarre Remarks

    "It’ll be fixed, it’ll be fine," the GOP presidential nominee told Christians at a faith-focused event in Florida.

  • PAS info chief says can’t rule out split with Gerakan over vernacular schools funding issue

    KUALA LUMPUR, July 28 — PAS information chief Ahmad Fadhli Shaari expressed disappointment with Gerakan’s stance on dona...

  • Does Vice-President Harrys have a path to 270?

    CNN Senior Data Reporter Harry Enten walks through the multiple paths Vice President Harris has to reach 270 votes and how the electoral college map changed with Biden’s exit from the race.

  • Mosques which hosted Islamist extremist preacher investigated by charity watchdog

    Four mosques are being assessed by the Charity Commission after hosting an Islamist extremist preacher.

  • Benjamin Netanyahu arrest warrant row: Government drops Tories' plan to challenge ICC

    Health Secretary Wes Streeting stressed the new Government ‘believes very strongly in the rule of law’

  • Trump says he accepts FBI ‘apology’ over assassin’s bullet claims and slams Harris at Florida speech

    Agency confirmed Friday that Trump was wounded by bullet shot from rifle

  • George Galloway meets family of men involved in Manchester Airport fracas

    George Galloway is understood to have met the family of the men involved in the Manchester Airport incident, amid fears activists are “inflaming” tensions.

  • China, US spar over South China Sea at Laos talks

    The top diplomats of China and the US sparred on Saturday over the South China Sea, where Beijing is locked in a territorial dispute with US treaty ally the Philippines.- Stormy seas - Beijing claims the South China Sea -- through which trillions of dollars of trade passes annually -- almost in its entirety despite an international court ruling that its assertion has no legal basis.

  • Black women are quickly joining forces to support Kamala Harris’ presidential bid. Here’s what that looks like

    A Zoom call that attracted tens of thousands of attendees was the start of a brewing movement of Black women who are mobilizing to help the vice president secure a historic win in November.