Blog Post: Why is Communist China Attacking GOP Candidates?
It is well known that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is working to influence American elections. This year, we are now seeing new evidence that those efforts are being specifically targeted at Republican members of Congress with a record of protecting the United States from CCP influence.
This week, Microsoft’s Threat Analysis Center (MTAC) reported that China was behind the dissemination of false information designed to criticize and discredit specific elected American officials. This shocking new report shows that the Chinese government’s election interference efforts are not just random. The attacks are being targeted and weaponized to intimidate elected officials who are taking a stand against the CCP.
The CCP Is Targeting Republicans Who Support National Security
What do all of these members of Congress have in common? They are all Republicans. Not surprisingly, they have also all worked to pass laws that curb the growing power of the CCP in the United States.
Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) has been a vocal critic of the Chinese Communist government. She has fought in the Senate against Chinese government surveillance and worked to protect American intellectual property. According to the MTAC, an actor known for working with the CCP was actively supporting Blackburn’s opponent online and using bots to make false allegations against the Senator.
Representative Michael McCaul (R-TX) is the Chairman of the House Intelligence Committee and has a long history of investigating CCP espionage. He recently requested a special investigation into Chinese government attempts to steal private U.S. technology.
Representative Barry Moore (R-AL) recently supported several bills that would have angered the Chinese government. In the last two months, Rep. Moore voted for legislation to sanction Chinese officials, ban the sale of U.S. farmland to the CCP, and limit Chinese government influence on American campuses.
Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) was one the earliest critics of Chinese government influence campaigns. He raised awareness about CCP plans to push its agenda at U.S. colleges and through partnerships with domestic industries. Sen. Rubio was targeted in this latest attack with unfounded online accusations of corruption, according to Microsoft.
Elected Officials Must Not Be Intimidated
The Protecting America Initiative has repeatedly warned that the CCP’s plot to influence American politics extends to the state and local level. Americans must conclude that the kinds of intimidation tactics on display in these Congressional races will be duplicated in state politics. At the state level, smaller electoral margins could give Chinese government bots an outsized influence on elections.
The Protecting America Initiative was created to provide critical support to state legislatures and governors who are willing to take on the Chinese government. We have worked to marshal the resources and collective experience of the nation’s top experts on the CCP’s plan to influence America. This includes working with President Trump to encourage states to act.
State and local officials must be aware of these tactics and prepared to resist them. The Chinese government will continue to attack candidates further and further down ballot. The Protecting America Initiative will work closely with those officials to identify these threats and support their work to stop CCP influence in the states. The Chinese government’s plan to intimidate politicians cannot succeed.