https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/...gger-election-interference-threat-than-russia
Fox News host Laura Ingraham asked the attorney general whether the Chinese Communist Party or Vladimir Putin’s Russia was the bigger threat on the election meddling front.
“In my opinion, it’s China,” Barr said. “And not just to the election process, but I think across the board — there’s simply no comparison. China is a very serious threat to the United States geopolitically, economically, militarily, and a threat to the integrity of our institutions given their ability to influence things.”
“The IC has not concluded that the Kremlin is directly aiding any candidate’s reelection ... nor have we concluded that the Russians will definitely choose to try to do so in 2020,” the ODNI said. “This is not a Russia-only problem. China, Iran, other countries like North Korea and Cuba, and non-state actors all have the opportunity, means, and potential motive to interfere in the 2020 elections as a way to achieve their goals.”
“The department is heavily engaged in that,” Barr said. “In fact, that’s one of our highest priorities in the counterintelligence realm, counterespionage realm, and protection of trade secrets. [These are] our activities directed to defend against the Chinese.”
“The Chinese are engaged in a full-court blitzkrieg of stealing American technology, trying to influence our political system, trying to steal secrets at our research universities and so forth — and we are focused on it.”
“We have something we call the China initiative,” Barr said. “We’ve brought a lot of indictments, but it’s something that we also have to expose by letting the business community understand the exact nature of the threat.”
Ingraham asked Barr specifically about Chinese influence efforts within U.S.-based research.
“Well, I think we are trying to tighten up on those programs and a number of the universities working closely with the government to understand what the nature of the threat is, but it’s not just universities,” Barr answered. “I mean, universities are part of the problem, but a lot of American businesses … just for short-term gain, they are perhaps not doing what is necessary in the long-term interest of the United States.”
Fox News host Laura Ingraham asked the attorney general whether the Chinese Communist Party or Vladimir Putin’s Russia was the bigger threat on the election meddling front.
“In my opinion, it’s China,” Barr said. “And not just to the election process, but I think across the board — there’s simply no comparison. China is a very serious threat to the United States geopolitically, economically, militarily, and a threat to the integrity of our institutions given their ability to influence things.”
“The IC has not concluded that the Kremlin is directly aiding any candidate’s reelection ... nor have we concluded that the Russians will definitely choose to try to do so in 2020,” the ODNI said. “This is not a Russia-only problem. China, Iran, other countries like North Korea and Cuba, and non-state actors all have the opportunity, means, and potential motive to interfere in the 2020 elections as a way to achieve their goals.”
“The department is heavily engaged in that,” Barr said. “In fact, that’s one of our highest priorities in the counterintelligence realm, counterespionage realm, and protection of trade secrets. [These are] our activities directed to defend against the Chinese.”
“The Chinese are engaged in a full-court blitzkrieg of stealing American technology, trying to influence our political system, trying to steal secrets at our research universities and so forth — and we are focused on it.”
“We have something we call the China initiative,” Barr said. “We’ve brought a lot of indictments, but it’s something that we also have to expose by letting the business community understand the exact nature of the threat.”
Ingraham asked Barr specifically about Chinese influence efforts within U.S.-based research.
“Well, I think we are trying to tighten up on those programs and a number of the universities working closely with the government to understand what the nature of the threat is, but it’s not just universities,” Barr answered. “I mean, universities are part of the problem, but a lot of American businesses … just for short-term gain, they are perhaps not doing what is necessary in the long-term interest of the United States.”
