U.S. Targets Russia Over 2024 Election Influence Operation

An unidentified Russia Today anchor prepares to go on the air in the RT TV studio in Moscow, June 8, 2018.

Yuri Kadobnov | Afp | Getty Images

The Biden administration on Wednesday will announce actions targeting Russian government-backed efforts to manipulate American opinion leading up to the 2024 election, two senior U.S. officials told NBC News.

Those alleged efforts include the use of RT, the English-language media network backed by Russia, to influence U.S. opinion, the officials said.

The Biden administration’s actions in response to those efforts are expected to include sanctions by the U.S. Treasury Department and a law enforcement action by the Department of Justice.

Attorney General Merrick Garland plans to speak publicly about actions later Wednesday.

In July, U.S. intelligence officials told NBC News that Russia was trying to undermine the campaign of President Joe Biden to win reelection this fall.

Biden weeks later dropped out of the race and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris to replace him atop the Democratic ticket.

Harris is set to face Donald Trump, the Republican nominee and former president, in November.

Trump was elected to the White House in 2016. Investigations later found that there was a coordinated effort by Russia to support his candidacy over the then-Democratic nominee, Hillary Clinton.

When NBC asked RT’s press office about news of the expected actions Wednesday, RT replied: “1. Ha! 2. Hahahaha! 3. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.”

“4. 2016 called and it wants its clichés back,” the RT press office wrote. “5. Three things are certain in life: death, taxes and RT’s interference in the US elections 6. We gotta earn our Kremlin paycheck somehow 7. Somewhere Secretary Clinton is sad that it’s not because of her.”

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