The “United States will not tolerate foreign, including Russian, attempts to subvert our democratic processes and institutions,” a State Department spokeswoman said in a statement. | Getty Images State Dept. singles out Russia for meddling in U.S. democracy

The State Department on Wednesday called out Russia in warning against foreign interference in U.S. democracy, a day after the White House declined to do so.

“We demand that Russia and all other malign actors immediately cease this reckless behavior,” Heather Nauert, a department spokeswoman, said in a statement. “As President Trump, Vice President Pence, and Secretary Pompeo have said repeatedly, the United States will not tolerate foreign, including Russian, attempts to subvert our democratic processes and institutions.”


Nauert was referring a Facebook announcement on Tuesday that it had closed more than two dozen “inauthentic” accounts and pages waging a disruption campaign ahead of the midterm elections.

The social media giant was unable to directly tie the accounts to Russia, but said that they were connected to others used by Russian hackers to meddle in the 2016 election and that both sets of accounts engaged in similar activities.

Nauert’s statement commended Facebook for its action, adding, “We urge all technology companies to take an aggressive approach to this insidious problem.”

Playbook PM Sign up for our must-read newsletter on what's driving the afternoon in Washington. Email Sign Up By signing up you agree to receive email newsletters or alerts from POLITICO. You can unsubscribe at any time. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

The White House on Tuesday praised Facebook’s response but did not point the finger at Russia — or any other actor — despite many other congressional Republicans doing so. Trump has been criticized for his varying positions on Russian interference, but has repeatedly said his administration has been tougher on the country compared with other presidents.