Politics
Top intelligence Democrats prepare for possible Trump foreign interference claims
Himes and Warner say they asked intelligence leaders to be reachable on Election Day and that current assessments show no interference with voting mechanics.
The short version
- The top Democrats on the House and Senate intelligence committees say they are planning for President Trump to allege fraud or foreign interference around the midterms.[CBS News · NPR]
- They say they asked DNI Jay Clayton and other intelligence leaders to be reachable by phone on and after Election Day to verify claims in real time.[CBS News · NPR]
- Lawmakers say recent intelligence assessments show no evidence of foreign efforts to manipulate voting machinery or vote counts, though influence operations continue.[CBS News · NPR]
- Lawmakers say required pre-election intelligence reports are overdue, while the White House says it is protecting elections.[CBS News · NPR]
Key facts
- Rep. Jim Himes and Sen. Mark Warner, the top Democrats on the House and Senate intelligence committees, say they expect Trump and his allies may allege fraud or foreign interference around the midterms.[CBS News · NPR]
- Himes said, 'We're making the assumption that the president is not going to accept the results' of a challenging election for him and his party.[CBS News · NPR]
- Warner and Himes say they asked DNI Jay Clayton and other intelligence leaders to be reachable by phone on and after Election Day to help verify claims in real time.[CBS News · NPR]
- Lawmakers say intelligence assessments show no evidence of foreign plans or capability to interfere with voting machinery or vote counts.[CBS News · NPR]
- Warner and Himes say Congress has not received several election-related intelligence reports required by law, including those due 120, 60 and 30 days before Election Day.[CBS News · NPR]
- A White House spokeswoman said President Trump has done more than any other president to ensure free and fair elections and that the administration is taking decisive action to protect them.[NPR]
What remains uncertain
- It is unknown whether Trump will claim foreign interference or fraud; the lawmakers' account rests on their own presumption about his response.[CBS News · NPR]
- The no-interference finding and the overdue-reports claim are the lawmakers' characterizations of intelligence materials, not independently verified in the provided reporting.[CBS News · NPR]
Sources
Outlet counts describe coverage, not independent confirmation. Reports may share a wire service or original source.