Republican vice presidential candidate J.D. Vance dismissed calls for stepping against Russia’s latest attempt to meddle in the U.S. elections in an interview with CBS News on Oct. 27.
U.S. intelligence warned that Russia is using disinformation to undermine the Democratic ticket of Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz ahead of the presidential election Nov. 5.
Vance, the running mate of Republican nominee and ex-President Donald Trump, is a known critic of the aid for Kyiv as Ukraine faces Russia's full-scale invasion.
"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 told CBS News.
A fake video began circulating on the internet that showed votes for Trump being torn up by a man in the key swing state of Pennsylvania, posted by an anonymous X account with a history of spreading Russian disinformation.
"I can call them (Moscow) to knock it off, but this is not a schoolyard," Vance said.
U.S. officials later confirmed that Russia was behind the fake video, attempting to undermine confidence in the upcoming election.
Vance also criticized sanctions imposed on Russia, saying, "They've gone off like a wet firecracker."
In another interview the same day, Vance called Russian President Vladimir Putin a "competitor" or "adversary" to the U.S. rather than an enemy and went on to say that negotiations with Moscow are "a necessary part" of ending the war in Ukraine.
Vance's comments come just over one week before the U.S. presidential election, which carries high stakes for the future of American military support to Ukraine.
Chris York
