President Trump’s infection with Covid-19 is a problem “on a national security level” and provides another divisive “wound” for enemies to exploit, the director of the National Counterintelligence and Security Center says.
“I think it’s an open wound for our adversaries to utilize,” Bill Evanina told Hearst Television in a lengthy interview. “But now that the president has been diagnosed, it provides them an opportunity, to again, not only enhance, exacerbate and amplify messages on both sides.”
“We’ll see adversaries use both sides of those questions to cause more turmoil in the news cycle for sure.”
Evanina stopped short of calling it a national security threat but said it impacts the presidential election because the three main adversaries trying to influence the 2020 vote – Russia, China and Iran – have also been carrying out influence operations when it comes to the coronavirus.
“This only exacerbates their ability to do so at scale,” Evanina said. “And we do expect, and we have seen, we’ll continue to see more aggressive activity from our adversaries on the President with respect to his COVID situation. So that is a problem for us on a national security level.”
Trump, his staff and chief White House doctor have come under fire since the President was admitted to Walter Reed hospital over the weekend for failing to disclose more details about the presidents testing and condition.
“I think corralling the information, providing the American people the truthful scenario is critical so that our foreign adversaries don’t extrapolate wrong information,” Evanina said.
Foreign intelligence services are also working to steal, disrupt and prevent an American Covid-19 vaccine, according to Evanina.
“But once we do [get it], they’re going to surely prevent us from trying to get it into your arm,” he said. “for sure, China, Russia and Iran, same three actors, are trying to prevent us from getting the vaccine.”
“At the end of the day, once we create it, we obtain it, protect the supply chain of that until we get all the way to your arm and my arm,” he added.
