A former national security adviser claims President Donald Trump
has given his ‘blessing’ for Russia to interfere with the 2020 election.
Tuesday, said Trump has refused to call out Russian meddling in the election.
Ms Rice is considered one of the country’s leading experts on foreign policy and served as ambassador of the United Nations from 2009 to 2013 under President Obama.
She worked closely with Biden when she served in the White House as President Barack Obama’s national security adviser.
Forer national security advisor Susan Rice has said President Donald Trump has given his ‘blessing’ for Russia to interfere with the 2020 election
Susan Rice, who had been a potential running mate for Democrat nominee Joe Biden before he picked Kamala Harris Tuesday, said Trump has refused to call out Russian meddling in the election
Speaking on MSNBC, Ms Rice told host Rachel Maddow the President has said he would accept foreign help in the election.
She said: ‘The Russians … have stepped up their efforts to interfere in our elections with, it seems, the blessing of Donald Trump.
‘We’ve never, at least in our lifetimes, had a president of the United States who has told us that he may not abide by the results of the election.
‘[He] has told us that he may seek to delay the election itself.
‘Has told us that he’s going to cast doubt on the legitimacy of mail-in ballots and go out of his way to make it as hard as possible for Americans to exercise their constitutional right to vote. It’s unbelievable.’
Susan Rice (pictured in 2016) served as National Security Advisor to President Obama and was considered a potential running mate to Joe Biden in the upcoming election
Ms Rice said mail-in ballots are the safest way to allow voting during the coronavirus pandemic and encouraged voters to produce an ‘overwhelming’ result at the ballots.
She said: ‘The more resounding the outcome, the harder it is for Donald Trump to manipulate and obscure a potential loss.
‘And we just have to be super, super vigilant to all of these different scenarios. I believe we have bipartisan interest in elections being fair and transparent.
‘It affects candidates up and down the ballot — not just at the presidential level.
‘So even if Republicans think that it’s in their interest for Donald Trump to retain power by any means necessary, it may not be in their interest because the same tools that he uses to his own advantage can disadvantage members of both parties.’
Kamala Harris (left) and Joe Biden (right) appeared together as running mates for the first time on Wednesday in Wilmington, Delaware
Kamala Harris made a touching tribute to Beau Biden when she took her turn to speak
It comes as Joe Biden welcomed Kamala Harris as family to his campaign as they appeared together for the first time as running mates Wednesday afternoon in Wilmington, Delaware.
‘I have no doubt that I picked the right person to join me as the next vice president of the United States,’ Biden said.
‘She’s smart, she’s tough, she’s experienced, she’s a proven fighter for the backbone of this country, the middle class and all those who are struggling to get into the middle class.’
He said that Harris and her family were now ‘honorary Bidens,’ and welcomed her husband Douglas Emhoff to the campaign trail, saying he would be making history, too, as ‘America’s first second gentleman.’
Joe Biden (left) welcomed his wife Jill Biden (center left) and Kamala Harris’ (center right) husband Douglas Emhoff to take the stage at the end of the candidates’ remarks, but the two couples kept their social distance due to the coronavirus pandemic
The joint appearance came about 24 hours after Biden’s campaign tweeted to supporters that his pick would be Harris, a former 2020 rival and California senator, who was friends with his late son Beau.
When Harris took the podium she talked at length about her friendship with Beau and how she came to know Joe Biden.
‘Ever since I received Joe’s call I’ve been thinking, yes, about the first Biden that I really came to know and that, of course, is Joe’s beloved son, one of his beloved son’s, Beau,’ Harris said. ‘He really was the best of us.’
‘And Joe and I, yes we are cut from the same cloth,’ she said of her new running mate, who was seated in the chair behind her. ‘My family means everything to me.’
‘And I’ve had a lot of titles over my career, and certainly vice president will be great, but “Mamala” will always be the one that means the most,’ Harris added.
