WASHINGTON _ Vice President Mike Pence on Tuesday was more clear on Russian election meddling than his boss, President Donald Trump, firmly agreeing with all American spy agencies that Moscow interfered in the 2016 campaign.
"The fact is Russia meddled in our 2016 elections," Pence told a cybersecurity conference in New York. "That is the unambiguous judgment of our intelligence community. And, as the president has said, we accept our intelligence community's conclusion."
"It will not be allowed," he said of further Russian meddling, calling it an "affront" to the U.S. political system.
Pence's mention of Trump's recent statement saying he agrees with the intelligence community about the 2016 interference excluded an asterisk: Even as he tried to clean up his comments from Helsinki, Finland, in which he appeared to agree with Russian President Vladimir Putin's denials, Trump again said other actors might also have been involved.
And last week, Trump stated clearly that Russia is indeed trying to interfere in the midterms. But he added a twist, saying the Kremlin wants to help Democratic congressional candidates this time.
The vice president, a former Indiana governor, said states still lack the funds to properly safeguard their election systems. He pledged federal help as the midterm elections are just months away.
The Trump administration has taken more action in 18 months than the Obama administration did in eight years on cybersecurity, Pence contended. But Democrats and some Republicans on Capitol Hill have raised concerns that Russia is plotting for a sequel in November and the Trump team has not made lawmakers aware just how they intend to stop Moscow.
