Top Senate Intel Democrat worried Americans may ‘unwittingly’ promote Russian disinformation campaign

Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.), the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, said Sunday he is worried that Americans may “unwittingly” be promoting a Russian disinformation campaign designed to interfere with the 2020 presidential election.

The committee vice chairman told NBC News’ “Meet the Press” that he wants the U.S. intelligence community to release more information about how Russia is trying to intrude in the election so the American people can be more aware. 

{mosads}Warner cited a U.S. counterintelligence report released last week that determined Russia was attempting to interfere with the election to promote President Trump and criticize Democratic nominee Joe Biden.

“It’s incumbent on the intelligence community to lay out more of the facts of what we know about that disinformation campaign,” he said. “My fear is there may be Americans that are unwittingly promoting that Russian disinformation campaign, and I think they need to be briefed so they don’t become, frankly, agents in effect of this disinformation campaign.”

WATCH: Senator Mark Warner says it is “incumbent upon the Intelligence community to lay out more” about the ongoing Russian disinformation campaign. #MTP @MarkWarner: “My fear is that there may be Americans that are unwittingly promoting that Russian disinformation campaign.” pic.twitter.com/NGcgSAbQtq

— Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) August 23, 2020

The intelligence report from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence also indicated that China and Iran were also attempting to meddle in the election – but in favor of Biden to prevent Trump’s reelection. 

U.S. intelligence had already concluded that Russia was involved in the 2016 elections in an effort to help Trump, which the Senate Intelligence Committee confirmed in last week’s report.

During his interview, Warner said his committee’s report demonstrated “unprecedented contacts between Russians and folks on the Trump campaign.”