Trump calls for sanctions in any midterm meddling
Officials say order targeting countries, people insufficient
WASHINGTON— President Donald Trump issued a new order Wednesday authorizing additional sanctions against countries or individuals for interfering in upcoming U.S. elections, but lawmakers of both parties said the effort does not go far enough.
The order would allow Trump to sanction foreigners who interfere in the midterm elections Nov. 6. It covers overt efforts to meddle in election infrastructure, such as vote counts, as well as “propaganda” and other attempts to influence voting from abroad, Director of National Intelligence Daniel Coats told reporters.
The harshest sanctions outlined in the order would be up to the president’s discretion.
“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.
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, and the United States has already sanctioned Russian individuals and entities.
“I think his actions speak for themselves,” he said.
Trump has repeatedly called the special counsel investigation into Russian National security adviser John Bolton cast Wednesday’s action as a way to beef up U.S. defenses immediately. interference in the 2016 election a “witch hunt,” and alleged, without evidence, that the inquiry is “rigged” against him.
Trump has also said he accepts the 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 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.
“It has been a touchy subject,” one White House official said last month.
Congressional pressure for tougher federal defenses against foreign election interference grew following Trump’s July 16 summit and news conference with Putin, when Trump avoided publicly confronting the Russian l eader about Moscow’s efforts to influence the election.
Trumpinstead renewed a demand for an investigation of Clinton’s email practices as secretary of state and noted that Putin had issued an “extremely strong and powerful” denial.
Bolton said Wednesday that the White House is open to ideas and proposals from lawmakers, but said new legislation might be slow in coming. He cast the White House action as a way to strengthen U.S. defenses immediately.
Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., and Sen Marco Rubio, R-Fla., issued a joint statement calling the White House effort insufficient and calling on Congress to pass tougher legislation now.
“Today’s announcement by the Administration recognizes the threat, but does not go far enough to address it,” they wrote. “The United States can and must do more,” such as the mandatory sanctions attached to legislation they proposed, the senators wrote.
Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., the vice-chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, also criticized the executive order, which he said puts too much power in the hands of a president who has previously failed to demand accountability from Russia on the issue.
“Unfortunately, President Trump demonstrated in Helsinki and elsewhere that he simply cannot be counted upon to stand up to Putin when it matters,” Warner said.