Kathrine Frich
Russian state actors focused heavily on attacking Biden.
Modern political campaigns are no longer fought just on television screens and debate stages.
Behind the scenes, powerful foreign adversaries use silent digital weapons to quietly manipulate public opinion.
A massive new leak of government intelligence reveals just how aggressive these hidden operations can be.
Secrets laid bare
President Donald Trump delivered a primetime national address on Thursday to discuss election security. During the speech, he surprised viewers by announcing the immediate declassification of highly sensitive intelligence documents.
These files are now online. Anyone can download them directly from the official White House website. Trump claimed these records exposed a vast plot against his own administration.
But a closer look at the paperwork tells a very different story. The documents actually detail a massive and highly coordinated Russian campaign designed to ruin Joe Biden’s presidential run.
The document release demonstrates that foreign interference was heavily skewed, pointing to a targeted effort to undermine a political campaign.
Targeting the rival
HuffPost analyzed the document dump. He discovered that Russian state actors focused heavily on attacking Biden rather than his opponent.
One specific file is titled “NICA (National Intelligence Council Assessment) Foreign Threats To 2020 US Election.” This report outlines exactly how the Kremlin tried to influence voters.
“We assess that Russia is using a range of measures primarily to denigrate former Vice President Biden and what it sees as an anti-Russia establishment. For example, it is directing or encouraging proxies to spread claims about Vice President Biden. Some Kremlin-linked actors are also seeking to boost President Trump’s candidacy on social media,” the assessment stated.
The files confirm that Moscow saw the Democratic candidate as a major threat to its global interests. Their digital attacks were meant to completely dismantle his path to the White House.
Other foreign threats
The intelligence release also highlighted cyber threats from other global powers. China was also actively keeping tabs on the political landscape.
According to the same National Intelligence Council report, Beijing “prefers that President Trump be defeated.” However, their actual cyber efforts were directed elsewhere.
A memo titled “CIA Wire Memo Summer 2020” revealed that Chinese hackers focused their digital spying operations directly on Biden’s campaign. Foreign powers were clearly pulling out all the stops to shape the American political future.
Sources: HuffPost, White House website
