After Russia's "most important covert action" in history, hacking the Democratic National Committee, media and politics need to get out of the way as Congress sets out to define a "digital act of war" and the U.S. response, Rep. Will Hurd, R-Texas, told Newsmax TV.
"We need to be having the conversation — we need to be talking about — what is a digital act of war?" Hurd, a nine-year veteran of the CIA and a recently tapped member of the House Intelligence Committee, told "The Joe Pags Show."
"If the North Koreans launch a missile in San Francisco, you and I know how we would respond. The North Koreans know how we would respond. What's the equivalent when it comes to cyberspace?
"Because cyberspace is a domain just like air, land, and sea. And so this is where our conversation should be, and we need to make sure of our professionals and we root these problems out throughout the government."
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The current politics — in Congress and the intelligence community — responding to Russia's attempt to influence our elections, along with the vitriolic media covering it, are as distracting as the campaign hacks themselves, Hurd added.
"The reason this activity is going to go down in the history of Mother Russia as being the most important covert action campaign is that it drove a wedge — whether real or perceived — between the White House, the intelligence community, and the American people," Hurd told host Joe Pagliarulo.
"And my colleagues on the other side of the aisle [Democrats] are exacerbating that. Sometimes elements in the media are exacerbating that in trying to add to this."
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