National Security Official Warns of ‘Persistent’ Efforts to Interfere in US Elections

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW — For American law enforcement, today’s threat landscape may be as daunting, complex and dynamic as it’s ever been. The threat of terrorism remains high, and top U.S. intelligence officials say it’s been made worse by Israel’s long war in Gaza and the civilian toll there. But officials also say they are on high alert for violent extremist groups on the domestic front as well. 

Then there are the state-sponsored actors – authoritarian regimes including China, Iran, Russia, and North Korea — which have taken to targeting the U.S. and its allies via traditional espionage, influence operations, and the illicit acquisition of sensitive technologies from the West. And in the home stretch of this fraught U.S. election campaign, America’s adversaries are also working to interfere and influence U.S. domestic politics, stoking divisions and sowing discord by spreading misinformation and propaganda. These operations are increasingly bolstered by the use of artificial intelligence and traditional malign cyber activity.