DHS secretary says Russia is attempting to 'sow discord' in America for the 2018 midterms

Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen
(Image credit: Alex Wong/Getty Images)

The Department of Homeland Security has observed "persistent Russian efforts using social media, sympathetic spokespeople, and other fronts to sow discord and divisiveness amongst the American people" in the 2018 election, DHS Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen said Saturday. However, she continued, DHS has not found evidence of meddling "focused on specific politicians or political campaigns," as was the case in 2016.

Her comments echo those of DHS cybersecurity chief Christopher Krebs, who said Wednesday his agency has not seen "anything that rises to the level of 2016 — [a] directed, focused, robust campaign." This comes as President Trump prepares to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin Monday; Trump has claimed "low expectations" for the summit.

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Bonnie Kristian

Bonnie Kristian was a deputy editor and acting editor-in-chief of TheWeek.com. She is a columnist at Christianity Today and author of Untrustworthy: The Knowledge Crisis Breaking Our Brains, Polluting Our Politics, and Corrupting Christian Community (forthcoming 2022) and A Flexible Faith: Rethinking What It Means to Follow Jesus Today (2018). Her writing has also appeared at Time Magazine, CNN, USA Today, Newsweek, the Los Angeles Times, and The American Conservative, among other outlets.