Cybersecurity
Trump Team’s China Focus Distracts From Russia Election Meddling
- Appointees say China is top election threat despite evidence
- Russian military intelligence called biggest danger by experts
An American flag hangs in Washington D.C.
Photographer: Stefani Reynolds/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
U.S. intelligence and national security agencies face a new obstacle in protecting this year’s election: an effort by President Donald Trump and some of his top appointees to downplay the threat posed by Russia while inflating the danger from China, according to officials.
Top political appointees -- including Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe, National Security Advisor Robert 0’Brien, Secretary of State Michael Pompeo and Attorney General William Barr -- have suggested in recent weeks that China is the bigger election threat even though intelligence assessments don’t confirm that assertion.