Joe Biden Says He’s Started To Receive Intelligence Briefings, Warns About Russia Interfering In Election
Joe Biden said that he has started to receive intelligence briefings, warning that Russia is still trying to interfere in the election as it reportedly did in 2016.
As Bloomberg reported, Biden spoke about his briefings during a fundraiser organized by a group of corporate lawyers. In speaking to the group, Biden said that he has begun receiving briefings on potential security threats to the United States — which have been offered to presidential candidates so they are up to speed if they win the election — and noted that Russia is not alone in trying to undermine American confidence in the outcome of November’s presidential election.
“We know from before and I guarantee you I know now because now I get briefings again — the Russians are still engaged in trying to delegitimize our electoral process. Fact,” Biden said. “China and others are engaged as well in activities designed for us to lose confidence in the outcome [of the election].”
Intelligence findings claimed that Russia aimed to sow division leading up to the 2016 election, pushing politically divisive issues while aiming to harm Hillary Clinton’s chances of winning and help Donald Trump.
The report noted that Biden said late last month that he “very well may” begin asking for intelligence briefings, responding to reports that Russia had offered bounties to Taliban-linked militants to kill U.S. soldiers stationed in Afghanistan.
The report added that Biden has been critical of Trump for reports that the president does not take the time to read daily written briefings, which had led to criticism in the wake of the Russian bounty reports for allegations that Trump may have not been aware of the alleged bounty program. Biden said he stood with U.S. soldiers who are in harm’s way in Afghanistan.
Trump has also been criticized for reluctance to stand behind the findings of the U.S. intelligence community that Russia interfered in the 2016 election with the goal of helping to be elected. Trump has cast doubt on the findings and backed Russian President Vladimir Putin when he denied that the country interfered in any way and showed reluctance to put in place sanctions on Russia, even those passed with bipartisan support in Congress.
Biden said at the time of reports on the alleged Russian bounty program that Trump’s presidency has been a “gift to Putin,” pledging that, unlike Trump, he would stand up to Russia if he were to win the election in November.
