Americans are too smart to fall for ads on social media and other platforms that were paid for by Russian agents, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein says in a new interview posted Thursday.
In a podcast — first flagged by The Washington Post — Rosenstein said Americans aren't that gullible.
"You know, American citizens are pretty savvy, and they decide who to vote for," he said. "I don't think they'd be influenced by ads posted by foreign governments," Rosenstein said. "I think people are more thoughtful about that in the way that they make their decisions."
"I think what people need to keep in mind is that there's a distinction between people trying to sway American elections and succeeding in swaying American elections," he added.
"I think one of our responsibilities is to make sure that people understand, you know, what the risks are, but also that they make their own determinations."
"Nonetheless, you know, if we have foreign countries that are seeking to interfere in our elections, I think we need to take appropriate action in response," he said.
Facebook reportedly said it believes about 10 million American users viewed targeted ads purchased by a group affiliated with Moscow to sow political divisions ahead of the 2016 presidential election.
The company disclosed the new information after turning over the roughly 3,000 ads over to congressional committees investigating Russia's interference with the election.
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