Trump hikes vote-tampering penalty

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump issued an order Wednesday authorizing additional sanctions against countries or individuals for interfering in upcoming U.S. elections, including the November midterm elections. Lawmakers of both parties immediately said the effort does not go far enough.

The order covers overt efforts to meddle in election infrastructure, such as vote counts; spread “propaganda”; and otherwise attempt to influence voting from abroad, said Daniel Coats, director of national intelligence.

The harshest sanctions outlined in the order would be up to the president.

“This is intended to be a very broad effort to prevent foreign manipulation of the political process,” national security adviser John Bolton said during a briefing Wednesday.

As The Washington Post first reported in August, the order appears to be an effort to stave off bipartisan legislation that would mandate tough federal action.

Bolton said criticism that Trump had been too deferential to Russia or blinkered in his view of Russian election interference played “zero” role in the new action.

Trump has repeatedly said he wants to combat foreign interference, Bolton said, adding that the United States has already sanctioned Russian individuals and entities.

Trump has repeatedly called the special counsel investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election a “witch hunt,” and alleged without evidence that the inquiry is “rigged” against him. He has appeared to take Russian President Vladimir Putin’s word that Russia did not interfere on his behalf in the election, most recently when he and the Russian leader met in July for a summit in Helsinki.

Trump has also said he accepts the strong consensus view of U.S. intelligence agencies that Russia did interfere, including through propaganda and falsehoods spread on social media.

But aides have said that Trump’s anger at what he views as a questioning of his surprise election victory over Democrat Hillary Clinton colors his view of the threat to future elections and slowed down the administration’s planning for this year’s congressional election.