Himes says there was no interference in US election infrastructure — CBS News

In the United States, Democratic Congressman from Connecticut Jim Himes said that, according to the assessment of the US intelligence community, no adversary interfered or attempted to interfere with election infrastructure or vote counting ahead of the midterm elections. He said this in an interview with CBS News.

Himes, who serves on the House Intelligence Committee, said he had received assurances from US officials that intelligence would be provided in real time. At the same time, he added that these assurances only partially reassured him.

Interference and influence campaigns

The congressman stressed the difference between election interference and influence campaigns. According to him, interference means manipulation of election systems or vote counting, while influence may include, among other things, purchasing Facebook pages to campaign against a candidate.

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In Himes's view, President Donald Trump may question the legitimacy of the voting results and make claims about foreign interference. The congressman said that his access to relevant information would make it possible to assess the truthfulness of such statements.

Iran and talks with China

Himes also suggested that Iran may influence the political situation ahead of the elections through the security situation in the Strait of Hormuz. In his assessment, attacks on shipping in the area could raise oil and diesel fuel prices and affect the electoral race.

Commenting on Trump's meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Washington, Himes called the intention of the United States and China to establish a bilateral communication channel on incidents related to artificial intelligence a positive step. He noted that the talks produced no substantial results, but that dialogue itself between Washington and Beijing is important for avoiding misunderstandings and a new trade war.