### Sen. JD Vance Responds to Russian Disinformation Efforts in U.S. Elections

Sen. JD Vance of Ohio weighed in on the recent disclosure of Russian disinformation campaigns targeting U.S. elections. This follows a joint statement from the FBI, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, revealing Russia's role in circulating a fake video showing ballots being destroyed in Pennsylvania.

Appearing on "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan," Vance, the Republican vice presidential nominee, avoided committing to specific actions against Russia for interfering in the presidential election. "I think a lot of countries are going to try to manipulate our voters. They're going to try to manipulate our elections. That's what they do," Vance remarked. He stressed that the priority should be determining what is in the United States' best interest regarding Russia, rather than penalizing them for social media disinformation.

U.S. intelligence agencies have concluded that Russia aims to undermine the Harris campaign, whereas Iran targets the Trump campaign. An ODNI report even uncovered an effort by a Russian military intelligence unit to recruit an apparently unwitting American to organize protests within the U.S.

Vance criticized sanctions imposed on Russia by the Biden administration for its unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, arguing that foreign policy shouldn’t hinge upon issues like social media videos. When asked if Russia's interference had crossed a "red line," Vance admitted it was "bad" but expressed skepticism about the effectiveness of calling on Moscow to stop. "I condemn the Russians for funding fake social media views, but I don't think that my job as a statesman, as a person who wants to be the next vice president of the United States, is to go engage in saber rattling," he stated.

Vance shifted the discussion to his concerns about Russia's support for Iran, particularly given the recent military tensions in the Middle East. On Friday, Israel conducted limited strikes on military sites in Iran in retaliation for a missile attack on October 1, which launched about 180 ballistic missiles at Israel.

Experts noted that Russian disinformation efforts have also spread baseless claims against Democratic vice-presidential candidate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and falsely reported that Vice President Kamala Harris was involved in a 2011 hit-and-run incident.

Vance expressed confidence in the integrity of state-administered elections during his discussion with Brennan in Erie, Pennsylvania. "I think that they're doing a good job. I think they're doing a better job than they were in 2020," he said, citing improvements in voter ID laws and tighter regulations around signature verification.

When questioned about his commitment to upholding the Constitution, Vance affirmed his dedication. "I think that Donald Trump believes in the American Constitution. I know he does," he said. "But you asked about me, and personally, yes, my first loyalty is to the American people and to the United States Constitution."