Russia will interfere in the 2024 presidential elections in the United States to weaken the US and support Ukraine, according to Bloomberg, citing American officials.
“A growing number of US adversaries, led by Russia, are looking to influence the 2024 presidential election through for-hire commercial firms and the use of generative artificial intelligence,” the publication states.
According to the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, Russia poses the most serious threat in this election cycle. “Moscow likely views the election as an opportunity to pursue its broader goals of undercutting support for Ukraine’s war effort, eroding confidence in democratic institutions and undermining trust in the US more broadly,” officials said.
It is expected that Russia will exploit social divisions in the US, including protests in college campuses supporting Palestinians in the Gaza conflict. “ODNI’s Foreign Malign Influence Center, which began operating in September 2022, will seek to counter these threats through the use of forensic media analysis. That program seeks to establish whether media is created synthetically or manipulated by foreign operatives,” the text states.
Meanwhile, Iran plans to act as an agent of chaos in the 2024 elections, fomenting internal discord and even promoting violence. On the other hand, China is taking a more cautious approach and is aware of the potential backlash that could accompany election interference, Bloomberg writes.
Cover: Graeme Sloan/Bloomberg