U.S. intelligence officials believe Iran is attempting to sabotage former President Trump's presidential campaign through online influence operations, according to a press briefing Monday.
Speaking to reporters, an official from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) said U.S. spy agencies “observed Tehran working to influence the presidential election,” likely because Iranian leaders want to avoid further tensions with the United States.
The official did not directly say Iran was trying to undermine Trump, but that U.S. spies “have not observed a change in Iran's preferences” since 2020, meaning Iran was still targeting Trump.
During the briefing, an intelligence official also said Iran is using “vast networks of online characters and propaganda mills to spread disinformation” in addition to different online campaigns.
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U.S. intelligence officials believe Iran is interfering in the 2024 election. (Fake Images)
In early July, Tehran was accused of plotting to kill Trump after a gunman shot the former president at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13. Iran's Permanent Mission to the United Nations told Fox News Digital that the allegations were “baseless and malicious.”
“From the perspective of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Trump is a criminal who must be prosecuted and punished in a court of law for ordering the assassination of General Soleimani,” the permanent mission said in a statement. “Iran has chosen the legal path to bring him to justice.”
Iran is not the only foreign adversary accused of interfering in the 2024 presidential election. On July 10, ODNI officials called Russia the “preeminent threat” to the election.
Russia is “taking a whole-of-government strategy to influence elections, including the presidential race, Congress and public opinion,” an intelligence official said during the July 10 briefing, adding that Russia has become “more sophisticated” in election interference. The country typically targets the Democratic Party in U.S. elections.
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Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei attends a meeting with a group of students in Tehran, Iran, Wednesday, Nov. 1. (Office of the Supreme Leader of Iran via AP)
According to the latest report from the Director of National Intelligence on Russia, the Kremlin is targeting the Democratic Party to reduce U.S. support for Ukraine, among other reasons.
“We believe the Russian government and its representatives attempted to denigrate the Democratic Party ahead of the midterm elections and undermine confidence in the elections, most likely to weaken U.S. support for Ukraine and erode trust in U.S. democratic institutions,” the report said.
According to the ODNI briefing on July 10, Russia is also reportedly using artificial intelligence to mimic Southern and Midwestern accents on social media.
“Foreign adversaries continue to experiment and have adopted at least some generative AI tools to more quickly and cheaply generate authentic-looking content, tailored primarily to social media platforms that can target specific audiences, including in the United States,” an ODNI official said.
Republican presidential candidate and former U.S. President Donald Trump shakes hands with Republican vice presidential nominee J.D. Vance alongside Eric Trump on the second day of the Republican National Convention (RNC) at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on July 16, 2024. (Reuters/Brian Snyder)
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Fox News Digital has reached out to the Trump campaign for comment.
Fox News Digital's Michael Dorgan, Louis Casiano and David Spunt contributed to this report.
