President Protecting Our Elections and Standing Up to Russia

Fact Sheets

President Donald J. Trump is Protecting Our Elections and Standing Up to Russia’s Malign Activities

Issued on: July 17, 2018

PROTECTING AMERICAN ELECTIONS: President Donald J. Trump and his Administration are defending the integrity of our election system.

• From the beginning of his Administration, President Trump has taken action to defend our election system from meddling and interference.

• In May 2017, President Trump signed an Executive Order to strengthen and review the cybersecurity of our Nation and its critical infrastructure.

o This has included long-delayed modernization of our cyber security systems across the Government.

• The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has taken the lead in working with all 50 states, local governments, and private companies to improve election security and integrity.

o Under President Trump, DHS has increased coordination and information sharing among all election partners, with nearly 1000 elections jurisdictions, including all 50 states, participating in the Election Infrastructure Information Sharing and Analysis Center.

o 34 States, 52 county or local governments, and 5 election companies receive cyber security scans from DHS, free of charge, on an ongoing basis.

o DHS plans to provide on-site risk and vulnerability assessments to all States that request. Currently 18 States have requested this assessment and 16 are completed for the 2018 election cycle.

o A new pilot program was launched to share information between State and local officials and the Election Assistance Commission to allow for rapid response on Election Day.

o During the 2017 elections, the Trump Administration provided on-site cybersecurity support to States.

• In March of 2018, Congress provided the Election Assistance Commission with $380 million in funding for election assistance grants to States.

• While increasing our election security, the Trump Administration is also combatting actors that have already attempted to harm our election integrity.

o In March 2018, the Administration imposed sanctions against 16 Russian entities and individuals for their roles in Russian interference in the 2016 Presidential election.

CONFRONTING RUSSIAN INFLUENCE IN THE UNITED STATES: President Trump has taken action to call out and confront Russian efforts that undermine the United States.

• In March 2018, President Trump ordered the expulsion of 48 Russian intelligence officers from the United States and ordered the closure of the Russian consulate in Seattle, Washington.

o This action was taken in coordination with American allies around the world in response to Russia’s use of a military-grade chemical weapon in the United Kingdom.

• In March 2018, President Trump also expelled 12 Russian intelligence officers from the Russian Mission to the United Nations in New York for abusing their privilege of residence.

• In September 2017, the Administration banned the use of Kaspersky Labs software on United States Government computers due to Kaspersky’s ties to Russian intelligence.

• In March 2017, the Administration charged 3 Russians for the 2014 Yahoo hack, including 2 officers of the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB).

• The Trump Administration has maintained the closure of 2 Russian compounds and the expulsion of 35 diplomats in response to Russian interference in the 2016 election.

REINFORCING A STRONG SANCTIONS REGIME ON RUSSIA: The Administration has imposed the toughest sanctions against Russia to confront its destabilizing behavior.

• President Trump’s Administration has consistently confronted Russian activities that threaten our institutions, our interests, or our allies.

• In June 2018, President Trump’s Administration imposed sanctions against 5 Russian entities and 3 Russian individuals for enabling Russia’s military and intelligence units to increase Russia’s offensive cyber capabilities.

• In April 2018, the Administration imposed sanctions against 7 Russian oligarchs and the 12 companies they own or control, 17 senior Russian government officials, and a state-owned Russian weapons trading company and a bank it owns.

o These sanctions ensure the Russian oligarchs who profit from Russia’s destabilizing activities face the consequences for doing so.

o The sanctioned state-owned weapons trading company provides military equipment and support to the Government of Syria, enabling the regime’s continual attacks against Syrian citizens.

• In February 2018, the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network proposed a new rule to bar a Latvian bank involved in illicit Russia-related activity from opening or maintaining correspondent accounts in the United States.

• In December 2017, new Russia-related sanctions were announced under the Sergei Magnitsky and Global Magnitsky programs.

• In December 2017, the Administration imposed export controls against 2 Russian companies that were helping Russia develop missiles that violate the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF).

• The Trump Administration sanctioned a total of 100 targets in response to Russia’s ongoing occupation of Crimea and aggression in Eastern Ukraine.

• The Trump Administration has also designated Russian actors under Iran and North Korea sanctions authorities.

CONFRONTING RUSSIAN AGGRESSION: The President is strengthening our alliances and standing up to Russia’s malign influence across the globe.

• The Trump Administration released a National Security Strategy that makes clear that Russia is undertaking actions that threaten our security and outlines steps to stop their interference.

• The Trump Administration has increased funding for the European Deterrence Initiative, providing billions to increase United States troop readiness in Europe, deter Russian aggression, and help defend our NATO allies.

• The Trump Administration has enhanced its support for Ukraine’s Armed Forces to help Ukraine improve its ability to defend itself.

• The Trump Administration is working to pressure Russia back into compliance with the INF Treaty to ensure that Russia does not gain strategic advantage from its treaty violations.

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