President Trump signed an executive order Wednesday authorizing sanctions against any country that interferes with U.S. elections, declaring election meddling efforts a “national emergency.”The executive order, signed just two months ahead of the November's midterms elections, addresses not only interference with campaign and election infrastructure, but also propaganda efforts. The order, which is considered a national emergency due to sanctions authority requirements, instructs the Office of National Intelligence and the intelligence community to conduct regular assessments about potential foreign interference in elections. The process, according to Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats and White House national security adviser John Bolton, would take a total of 90 days. Following Election Day, the intelligence community would have 45 days to collect data and assess whether interference had occurred. After the reports are complete, the Treasury and State Departments would decide on the appropriate sanctions to impose on the potential actors or countries.

Source: Fox News September 12, 2018 16:59 UTC