Acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney Mick MulvaneyOn The Money: House panel pulls Powell into partisan battles | New York considers hiking taxes on the rich | Treasury: Trump's payroll tax deferral won't hurt Social Security Blockchain trade group names Mick Mulvaney to board Mick Mulvaney to start hedge fund MORE said on Sunday that Russia did attempt to interfere in the 2016 presidential election.

"Yes, Russia did attempt to interfere in our election. There is no question. Let's not lose sight of the fact that it was the previous administration that let that happen," Mulvaney said when asked by Chuck Todd Charles (Chuck) David ToddMurkowski: Supreme Court nominee should not be taken up before election Republican senator says plans to confirm justice before election 'completely consistent with the precedent' Sunday shows - Trump team defends coronavirus response MORE on NBC's "Meet the Press" if President Trump Donald John TrumpBiden on Trump's refusal to commit to peaceful transfer of power: 'What country are we in?' Romney: 'Unthinkable and unacceptable' to not commit to peaceful transition of power Two Louisville police officers shot amid Breonna Taylor grand jury protests MORE accepts the fact that "Russia interfered to benefit him."

Mulvaney's comments come after Trump suggested for the first time last week that Russia helped him get elected.

"Russia has disappeared because I had nothing to do with Russia helping me to get elected. It was a crime that didn’t exist," Trump tweeted.

The president quickly contradicted his tweet, telling reporters Russia did not get him elected.

Special counsel Robert Mueller Robert (Bob) MuellerCNN's Toobin warns McCabe is in 'perilous condition' with emboldened Trump CNN anchor rips Trump over Stone while evoking Clinton-Lynch tarmac meeting The Hill's 12:30 Report: New Hampshire fallout MORE in his first comments on the Russia investigation emphasized last week that there were “multiple, systematic” attempts to interfere in the election.

“I will close by reiterating the central allegation of our indictments, that there were multiple, systematic efforts to interfere in our election,” Mueller said.

“And that allegation deserves the attention of every American,” he added.

Mulvaney said on Sunday that the Trump administration has been working for two years to ensure election security.

"Already been working with the states to make sure this can’t happen again. It is stuff that does not percolate up to the level of national attention, but our Department of Justice, our DHS has been working with states and local governments to make sure that no foreign governments, Russia or anybody, has the ability to do what in 2020 what they did in 2016," he said.

"I just wish people you know, tried to lay some of the blame where it belongs, on the previous administration, for letting it happen in the first place," he added.