On Friday’s NBC Today, correspondent Stephanie Gosk devoted a full report to hyping concerns that Russia could somehow rig the U.S. presidential election in November. In the wake of the hacking of Democratic National Committee e-mails, Gosk warned viewers: “The incident is raising new questions about the security of our country's overall electoral system. Could voting booths or voting tallies themselves be vulnerable?”
With the sensational headline “Could Russia Hack Our Election?” blaring across the screen, the reporter declared: “The e-mail scandal upended the Democratic Party....But beyond the political damage...there is another concern. Is the U.S. doing enough to protect the country's electoral system in general? If Russian intelligence is trying to tip the scales of this election, where else might they look?”
A sounbite ran of NBC News terror analyst Malcolm Nance fretting: “I believe we are vulnerable in the entire electoral process. So long as someone is not paying very close attention, you could essentially rig the system.”
Gosk explained: “Typically voting machines are not connected to the internet, but current and former security officials tell NBC News that any part of the electoral process handled online is potentially vulnerable. That can happen when it's time to count the votes.” Nance chimed in again: “It's where all of those votes come together for a final tally. If they’re put into a computer, those computers can be hacked.”
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Despite all the hand-wringing, Gosk’s own research on the topic seemed to discount the possibility:
We reached out to election officials in multiple states. The State of New York says its voting machines are by law not connected to the internet. And the state has “some of the most stringent testing protocols in the nation.” Voting machines California are also not connected online and an election official says the state has “extensive certification and testing that goes beyond the federal standards.”
Ignoring those assurances from election officials, Gosk concluded: “There is a debate over how to respond amid these concerns that the entire electoral system may now appear vulnerable to outside manipulation.”
Following the report, co-host Savannah Guthrie proclaimed: “Pretty scary thought.” Fellow co-host Matt Lauer agreed: “It really is.” Gosk replied: “It certainly is, yeah.”
Here is a full transcript of the July 29 segment:
7:42 AM ET
SAVANNAH GUTHRIE: We're back at 7:42. with some new developments in the investigation of those hacked Democratic National Committee e-mails.
MATT LAUER: NBC’s Stephanie Gosk is here with the latest on this. Hi, Steph, good morning.
STEPHANIE GOSK: Hi, good morning, guys. Well, now multiple senior government officials tell NBC News they are now confident Russian intelligence was behind the DNC hack, although the lack definitive proof. The incident is raising new questions about the security of our country's overall electoral system. Could voting booths or voting tallies themselves be vulnerable?
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Could Russia Hack Our Election?; New Fallout in Wake of Email Hack Attack]
The security firm hired to investigate the hack of the DNC emails says it detected two breaches of the system. Senior government officials now say they’re confident Russian intelligence agencies were behind both.
The e-mail scandal upended the Democratic Party, exposing officials apparent efforts to get Hillary Clinton elected during the primary, even though they were supposed to remain impartial. But beyond the political damage, that included the resignation of the head of the party, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, there is another concern. Is the U.S. doing enough to protect the country's electoral system in general? If Russian intelligence is trying to tip the scales of this election, where else might they look?
MALCOLM NANCE [NBC NEWS TERROR ANALYST]: I believe we are vulnerable in the entire electoral process. So long as someone is not paying very close attention, you could essentially rig the system.
GOSK: Voting systems are controlled state by state, and don't fall under the umbrella of the Department of Homeland Security. Typically voting machines are not connected to the internet, but current and former security officials tell NBC News that any part of the electoral process handled online is potentially vulnerable. That can happen when it's time to count the votes.
NANCE: It's where all of those votes come together for a final tally. If they’re put into a computer, those computers can be hacked.
GOSK: We reached out to election officials in multiple states. The State of New York says its voting machines are by law not connected to the internet. And the state has “some of the most stringent testing protocols in the nation.” Voting machines California are also not connected online and an election official says the state has “extensive certification and testing that goes beyond the federal standards.”
As for the DNC e-mails, what no one knows is how the information made its way to Wikileaks. In an interview with NBC’s Richard Engel earlier this week, Wikileaks founder Julian Assange was not giving up his sources.
JULIAN ASSANGE: The real story is what these emails contain. They show collusion at the very top of the Democratic Party.
GOSK: With government officials now increasingly convinced of Russia's role in the hack, the next big question is what to do about it. There is a debate over how to respond amid these concerns that the entire electoral system may now appear vulnerable to outside manipulation. Meanwhile, the response from the Russian government remains the same, “We had nothing to do with it.”
GUTHRIE: Pretty scary thought.
LAUER: It really is.
GOSK: It certainly is, yeah.
LAUER: Stephanie, thank you very much.
