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(CNSNews.com) – House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D.-Calif.) said on PBS “NewsHour” on Thursday that “the Russians are 24/7 trying to undermine the integrity of our elections.”
“The intelligence community knows that, in fact, they have stated that,” said Pelosi.
“But we have further evidence that they can state more fully, so that whether wittingly or unwittingly, those who might use that information have the fullest knowledge and that the republic knows what the Russians are up to,” she said.
“I think the American people are clear,” said Pelosi. “They would rather that they decide who the president of the United States is than Vladimir Putin, with his infiltration of our social media, with their putting forth false information.”
On Tuesday, the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence released the fifth volume of its report on the Russian interference in the 2016 election. Senate Intelligence Chairman Marco Rubio released a statement at the time the report was released. In this statement he said that there was no evidence of collusion between the Trump campaign and the Russians, but he also confirmed that the Russians are now trying to interfere in the 2020 election.
“We can say, without any hesitation, that the Committee found absolutely no evidence that then-candidate Donald Trump or his campaign colluded with the Russian government to meddle in the 2016 election,” said Rubio.
“Now, as we head toward the 2020 elections,” Rubio said, “China and Iran have joined Russia in attempts to disrupt our democracy, exacerbate social divisions, and sow doubts about the legitimacy and integrity of our institutions, our electoral process and our republic.”
Here is the part of the transcript from Nancy Pelosi’s appearance on PBS “NewsHour” where she says “the Russians are 24/7 trying to undermine the integrity of our elections:”
Judy Woodruff: “Two other very quick things. The Russians being accused of interfering again in this year’s presidential election. Senate Intelligence Committee report, you’re very familiar with it, they say, among other things, the Russians are continuing to spread disinformation.
“Democrats are saying they’re specifically planting disinformation with Republicans like Senator Ron Johnson. Do Democrats have the information, the evidence to back that up?”
Nancy Pelosi: “Yes, we have been briefed, but not to go in to confirming or denying anything. What we’re saying is the intelligence community should be putting forth what it can without jeopardizing sources and methods, of course.
“But there is no question that the Republicans–excuse me, that the Russians are 24/7 trying to undermine the integrity of our elections. The intelligence community knows that, in fact, they have stated that. But we have further evidence that they can state more fully, so that whether wittingly or unwittingly, those who might use that information have the fullest knowledge and that the republic knows what the Russians are up to.
“This is about, this about our–I think the American people are clear. They would rather that they decide who the President of the United States is than Vladimir Putin, with his infiltration of our social media, with their putting forth false information – oh, I can’t really go into so much of it. But it’s very wrong, the Administration knows it’s wrong and the President does anything but invite it. And then they try to make it – what is problematic is they try to make some equivalence, ‘Well, this country is doing that, this country is doing that.’
“There is nothing like what the Russians are doing. We don’t want anybody interfering in our elections, but that – let’s not make it look like it’s on par with other things. It is a major assault on our democracy and has a bigger agenda. It has the agenda of undermining democracies and they’ve done it in our country and they’ve done it in other countries throughout the world. We should not allow our country to be – allow this to happen and be accomplices to their undermining of democracy.”
