Presumptive Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden has warned that Russia is again trying to interfere in the upcoming presidential election.
Mr Biden issued the warning at a fundraiser on Friday evening, when he revealed that he had begun receiving briefings again due to his status as the nominee.
“We know from before and I guarantee you I know now because now I get briefings again. The Russians are still engaged in trying to delegitimize our electoral process. Fact,” the former vice president said.
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“China and others are engaged as well in activities that are designed for us to lose confidence in the outcome,” he added.
Mr Biden did not reveal when he first started to receive intelligence briefings, but it is typical for major political party candidates to receive them prior to presidential elections. In 2016, then-Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump started to receive intelligence briefings starting in August.
No other details were added during Mr Biden’s fundraiser speech about how the 2020 presidential election could be compromised by outside influences.
When speaking at a 30 June event, Mr Biden said he “very well may” ask for access to intelligence briefings after reports circulated that Russia put bounties on American soldiers’ heads in Afghanistan to encourage the Taliban to attack them.
After reports surfaced about these bounties, it was revealed Mr Trump received a written briefing in February but took no action against Russia.
Mr Biden then criticised the president, stating he doesn’t read his intelligence briefings.
Concerns have risen about potential election interference in a repeat of the 2016 election.
Multiple US intelligence agencies found Russia acted to help Mr Trump in the 2016 election, a charge that Vladmir Putin and other officials have denied. Mr Trump has also called the claims a “hoax” created by the Democrats.
