As the 2020 election season heats up, the Trump administration must warn Russia that interference in America’s democratic process will have serious consequences, but admonitions without action will not discourage damaging intervention by Russian dictator Vladimir Putin, his regime, and other hostile actors. Instead of another reactive defense and years of pointless indignation, a proactive U.S. strategy is what’s required to keep the Kremlin’s ambitions in check.
The 2016 election provided an unsupervised laboratory for Russia’s intelligence officers, oligarchs, and hired trolls. Evidence is now abundant that Moscow has also prepared cyberattacks and influence operations for 2020. It is uncertain which presidential candidate the Kremlin will ultimately favor, but the primary objective will be to widen divisions among the public, deepen distrust in the democratic process, and weaken the legitimacy of whoever ends up president.
