Joe Biden: Trump And His Allies 'Like' Russia Interfering In U.S. Elections

Former Vice President Joe Biden didn’t mince words during an interview that aired on CBS News’ “Face The Nation” on Sunday, saying President Donald Trump and his allies aren’t taking enough action to stop Russia interference in U.S. elections because they “like” it.

Asked if he believes there are lessons the Trump administration can learn on election meddling, Biden told host Margaret Brennan that the administration is “incapable” of evolving on the matter.

“They like this,” the Democratic presidential candidate said during the interview. “Come on, let’s be fair here. They’ve known this for a long time, for three years.”

“Every intelligence agency has told them [that the Russians] continue to be engaged in this activity,” he added. “There is not any question anymore. ... And what’s he doing? Zero. What is the Republican leadership in the United States Senate and Congress doing? Zero.”

The U.S. intelligence community’s top election security official reportedly told House lawmakers earlier this month that Russia wants Trump to win reelection in November. Separately, U.S. intelligence officials last month told Sen. Bernie Sanders ’ (I-Vt.) presidential campaign that the Kremlin was apparently also seeking to help the Democratic candidate’s bid.

Sanders denounced Russia’s interference and demanded Russian President Vladimir Putin “stay out of American elections.”

Trump, in contrast, has attacked Democrats over reports that Russia is trying to help him win reelection, accusing those across the aisle of spreading “disinformation.”

Russian agents, during the 2016 campaign, hacked into the Democratic National Committee’s server and orchestrated a massive disinformation campaign to help get Trump elected, according to U.S. intelligence agencies.

Biden on Sunday said he’s been targeted by Russian bots on Facebook because the Kremlin doesn’t want him to be the Democratic nominee. Asked whether it was Facebook or U.S. intelligence officials who informed him of this, Biden said he was alerted by his staff.

“I have not spoken to the intelligence community, but I think the intelligence community should inform the rest of us who are running what they told Senator Sanders,” he said.

Trump is “angry” that intelligence officials informed Sanders and other members of Congress about some of Russia’s meddling efforts in the 2020 election cycle, Biden said, adding that the administration must do more to secure the integrity of our elections.

“Why in God’s name haven’t we hardened the electoral process, provided ... hundreds of millions of dollars to states to be able to harden their voter rolls, make sure they can’t be attacked ... as a consequence of cyber attacks?” Biden continued. “Why haven’t we provided the capacity for them to be able to have the money to have paper ballots in addition to that?”

“This is outrageous,” he said. 

The White House did not immediately respond to HuffPost’s request for comment.

Watch part of Biden’s interview on “Face The Nation” below: