(CNN) Asked Monday whether the Obama administration should have done more to prevent Russian election interference in 2016, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said, "of course," but noted that his focus was on the 2020 election.

"The Russians interfered. It happened in the run-up to the election in 2016, of course they should have done everything they could to prevent it," Pompeo said at The Hill's Newsmakers Series in Washington.

"I don't want to go back and revisit and critique. We have the mission now to make sure this doesn't happen in 2020," Pompeo continued, adding that he has been working "diligently" to counter not only Russia but a broad range of threats.

President Donald Trump has recently offered a similar take, writing in a tweet earlier this month that Russian election interference occurred while President Barack Obama was in office and that he "was told about it and did nothing!"

Pompeo acknowledged that Russia remains a threat to US elections, but suggested that the nation should not be "shocked" by Russia's malicious actions.

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