Analyse
Margaret Brennan’s statement aligns with **public assessments** from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), FBI, and CISA, which have explicitly warned since mid-2023 about Russian efforts to undermine election integrity through disinformation, cyber operations, and amplification of divisive narratives. For example, the **2023 Annual Threat Assessment** (ATA) and **2024 Worldwide Threat Briefing** both highlight Russia’s ongoing interference, citing tactics like hack-and-leak operations and social media manipulation. While specifics of classified intelligence are not public, declassified summaries and testimony from officials (e.g., Avril Haines, Christopher Wray) corroborate the active nature of these measures. Brennan’s phrasing—'already taking active measures'—accurately reflects the consensus of these sources.
Achtergrond
Russia’s election interference dates back to at least **2016**, with well-documented campaigns by entities like the **Internet Research Agency (IRA)** and **GRU (military intelligence)**. The **2020 election** saw continued efforts, though with shifts in tactics (e.g., leveraging proxies, avoiding direct hacking of voting systems). U.S. agencies have since **prioritized election security**, issuing regular warnings and attributing specific influence operations to Russian state actors, including in **2022 midterms** and **2024 primaries**.
Samenvatting verdict
U.S. intelligence officials have repeatedly issued public and classified warnings since 2023 that Russia is actively engaging in influence operations targeting the 2024 U.S. election, consistent with Brennan’s claim.