08/31/2020
Trump Cuts Congress Out Of Election Interference Briefings
The Trump administration said Congress will no longer receive in-person briefings on election security. President Trump said that National Intelligence Director John Ratcliffe made the decision — attributing it to members "leaking" the information to the public. The president did not provide evidence to back up these claims. House Intelligence Chairman Adam Schiff suggested the president is trying to hide help he may be receiving from foreign governments.
■Class discussion: Do you think other countries are trying to interfere in our elections? Why or why not? Which nations have been accused of trying to intervene in November's upcoming presidential race? Do you think their goal would be to elect a particular candidate or just disrupt our elections? How could foreign hackers use social media to sow discord and stir up trouble between rival political groups? Do our growing political divisions make us more vulnerable to foreign manipulations?