On Face the Nation yesterday, Arizona Senator John McCain made his case about Russian interference in the 2016 Elections. He said this has happened before and painted a very bleak picture of America’s cyber defenses. He is also planning a trip to the Balkan states of Eastern Europe because:
“they are very worried, and they’re not the only ones who are very worried”
During the interview McCain stressed that he doesnt know how Donald Trump can claim that Russian inteference in American Elections is “ridiculous”, and in a press release sent out before the interview McCain stressed that the over-arching issue of cyber security must not be partisan:
Congress’s national security committees have worked diligently to address the complex challenge of cybersecurity, but recent events show that more must be done…Democrats and Republicans must work together, and across the jurisdictional lines of the Congress, to examine these recent incidents thoroughly and devise comprehensive solutions to deter and defend against further cyberattacks…This cannot become a partisan issue. The stakes are too high for our country. We are committed to working in this bipartisan manner, and we will seek to unify our colleagues around the goal of investigating and stopping the grave threats that cyberattacks conducted by foreign governments pose to our national security.
During the interview McCain painted a very bleak picture of America’s cyber defenses against Russian agression:#CyberSecurity can't be partisan. The stakes are too high. Will work across aisle to investigate & stop cyberattacks https://t.co/Or9LYegolo
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There is no doubt the Russians interfered…By the way, the Russians have interfered in alot of other elections, the Russians have hacked into some of our most secret military information, the Russians have been active, using as a tool as part of Vladimir Putin’s ambition to regain Russian prominence and dominance in some parts of the world.
McCain also stressed that President-Elect Trump should listen to the advise from his incoming Secretary of Defense, General Mattis when it comes to dealing with Russia because of the cyber threat they pose. On his upcoming trip to the Balkan countries in Eastern Europe, McCain said he is going in order to reasure them that the Congress of the United State stands behind them in their struggles against Putin and Russia.
On a follow up he was asked if that was because of the Balkans being worried about Trump’s position on Putin, to which McCain said:
They are very worried, but they aren’t the only ones who are very worried”