Russia and Putin · First term · № 62
Dismissed intelligence statement that Russia was working to undercut Biden in the 2020 election
“I think that the last person Russia wants to see in office is Donald Trump because nobody has been tougher on Russia than I have, ever.”
- Said
- , News conference, Bedminster, New Jersey
- Subject
- 2020 election interference
- Type
- Intelligence and security
- Topic
- Elections
- Era
- First term
What happened
On August 7, 2020 William Evanina, director of the National Counterintelligence and Security Center, said in a public statement that Russia was "using a range of measures to primarily denigrate former Vice President Biden" and that some Kremlin-linked actors were seeking to boost Trump's candidacy, while China preferred that Trump not win reelection. Asked that day whether he believed the intelligence, Trump said "It could be" and then said Russia did not want him in office. Told that this was not what the intelligence showed, he said, "Well, I don't care what anybody says." On September 10 the Treasury Department sanctioned Andriy Derkach, a Ukrainian lawmaker it described as an active Russian agent, for attempting to influence the election. On September 15 Trump said on Fox & Friends that Russia "probably" wanted Biden to win.