Two senior Democratic lawmakers say Russia is again working to harm their party and erode voter confidence ahead of the midterm elections. Representative Jim Himes and Senator Mark Warner described a classified intelligence community assessment shared with Congress in recent days. Himes said Russia is "throwing everything out there" to create chaos and distrust in institutions and voting machines, while Warner noted that Russia has spread disinformation in every election cycle since 2016.
The assessment also found that China, Iran, and North Korea are engaged in targeted influence efforts. However, both lawmakers stressed that no country appears to be attempting the technically challenging task of hacking election infrastructure or tampering with votes. Himes said there is a "pretty robust influence environment" but no sign of capability or intent to interfere directly with the machinery of voting.
The lawmakers are also preparing for the possibility that President Donald Trump will not accept the results if they go against him. They said they have wargamed scenarios including the president seizing on isolated or fabricated intelligence to delay the seating of the new Congress. They have sought assurances from the Director of National Intelligence and the CIA Director to be available on Election Day to counter unsubstantiated claims, though Himes acknowledged that such responses would only be a first step in managing any crisis.