For all the latest developments in Congress, follow WTOP Capitol Hill correspondent Mitchell Miller at Today on the Hill.
Virginia U.S. Sen. Mark Warner, the chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said that he’s concerned the final days before the election will bring a surge of disinformation designed to confuse and anger voters.
He said voters need to be vigilant and vet what they see on social media.
“It’s going to be a tense time,” Warner said. “Please don’t jump to conclusions.”
The Democratic lawmaker, who is not up for reelection, said Russia, China and Iran have shown time and again that they want to meddle in U.S. elections.
“I think we’re all going to be tested,” Warner said. “We all need to recognize that these next few days and the hours and days after the election are going to be some of the most critical time, I think, in recent history.”
Georgia’s Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said on Thursday that a video posted online, purporting to show Haitians voting illegally for Vice President Kamala Harris was fake, and likely came from a Russian troll farm.
WTOP National Security Correspondent J.J. Green recently reported in his series, “Disinformation Nation,” on Russia’s extensive efforts to sow confusion and influence elections in the U.S.
Warner worries that in some cases, people upset about bogus election fraud stories they see on social media could lash out — not just online — but with violence.
Warner pointed to what happened on Jan. 6, 2021, and the attack on the U.S. Capitol as an extreme example of what can happen when people get agitated by false claims of election fraud.
At the moment, Warner said he has not heard of any specific threats related to the postelection period in Washington, but it’s a matter he’ll be watching closely.
Sign up for WTOP’s Election Desk weekly newsletter to stay up-to-date through Election Day 2024 with the latest developments in this historic presidential election cycle.
As for disinformation pushed by foreign countries, he said it’s all about creating political chaos.
“They may have a candidate choice, but at the end of the day, what they mostly want to do is undermine our confidence in our system,” Warner said.
Warner urges people to take the time to check other sources when they see something on social media that troubles them.
He’s also been pleased that so far there haven’t been major incidents involving threats to poll workers, who are largely volunteers.
“Our democracy has stood up through the test of time,” Warner said. “But over these next few days, it may be tested again.”
Get breaking news and daily headlines delivered to your email inbox by signing up here.
© 2024 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.
