The United States will have a “proportional” response to Russian cyberattacks on American political institutions, White House spokesman Josh Earnest said on Tuesday.
“We obviously will ensure that a U.S. response is proportional,” Earnest told reporters aboard Air Force One. “It is unlikely that our response would be announced in advance. It’s certainly possible that the president could choose response options that we never announce.”
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“The president has talked before about the significant capabilities that the U.S. government has to both defend our systems in the United States but also carry out offensive operations in other countries,” Earnest said. “There are a range of responses that are available to the president and he will consider a response that’s proportional.”
A joint statement released by the Department of Homeland Security and the Director of National Intelligence on Friday attributed responsibility for attacks on the Democratic National Committee, Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, and other political institutions to what they described as the “senior-most officials” in Russia.
