Transcript for Russia's 'key goal' is 'sowing chaos' in US democracy: GOP senator

Let's bring in Republican senator James Lankford. He sits on the Senate Intelligence Committee which is investigating Russian interference in the 2016. Election. Good morning senator the president waited in response to the call when news that no I did not know of the meeting with my son Don junior. Do you unequivocally believed the president. Quiet I don't have any evidence I would say that's not accurate obviously this can be silly it's more into the lane of the special counsel and will be for the intelligence committee were working through the policy issues and Russian interference. Ops and special counsel's communal want to be able to determine anything else. Dealing with that in the as a legal matter. Do you worry that this clearer message to Michael Cohen will somehow. Affect the investigation. I think the whole thing has gotten confused quite frankly is that Americans journal and TV every day and regardless of what channel where they go to look from news online or in France. It's constantly something else seems to be the story that we've lost track of the fact that the Russians were trying to interfere in our election. In the sow chaos and our democracy and every single day. I see a growing chaos in our democracy. Just in their constant accusations back and forth so that is the grand challenge of this. Is try to figure out what is just noise in what is actually beneficial for us to be able to pursue. As far as a real problem with not one or democracy I'm but with integrity in such so that but it is it is a big issue forced. It's a big issue for the president and for the presidency. But we should make sure that we stay on focus that the Russians are clearly are a threat here. And indeed they are Bret Michael Cohen testified behind closed doors with your committee in October given what we've just heard in this new reporting would you like to have him back. It's always inch and eleven Bible quite frankly to me the most important person bill having consistently is the special counsel will again were tracking down information on Russian interference. That may or may not intersect with what he's actually tar him I would legal issues right now. So the special counsel has his own unique responsibility. Deal with criminal issues legal issues we're working on the espionage issues. Where it you know we also speaking of that we also learned this week that Russian intelligence unsuccessfully. Attempted to infiltrate Missouri democratic senator Claire McCaskill. Computers in her office she of course is running for reelection in a key race. What should be done about that and how do you see them. So here here's the grand Jones we have looking at how the Russians are trying to interfere with us and there will be difficult for Americans to be able to track it because it is it's confusing. They were they're trying to be able to get on to social media and ended traditional media to find ways to me wanna push it in you can see that. From the special counsel's indictment what's called the Internet research agency earlier this year. And then quite frankly the trump administration's been sanctions on a grip. That's a group trying to be able to so misinformation into the country. They are actively still doing that right now getting on line trying to build push up false stories trying to be able push out half truce let. But there are trying to patch security senator elect cast goals computers right that takes that to a battle that is this different level correct. Correct that's the second level this the misinformation one side of it that hacking into computers as they did for the DNC. Hacking into state election systems that's a separate group within the Russian government but both of them are actively still at work. And so for Americans they've got to be able to pay attention to what information is coming in front of them. But we also have to be very aware that the Russians are trying to be able interfere in our election every way they can be able harvest information. And in to be able to use that against our democracy that demand sanctions that demands a mere response from our government. This is regardless of who the candidate is or what the background as we as Americans universally. Should push back against a foreign power trying to interfere in our system. Back to McCaskill if we can a Democrat president trump tweeted this week about election interference in the mid terms saying I'm very concerned that Russia will be fighting very hard to have an impact on the upcoming election. Based on the fact that no president has been tougher on Russia than me they will be pushing very hard for the Democrats they definitely don't want trump. The president seems to think the Russians are only trying to help. The Democrats do you have any evidence that that is true. No the run the Russians are trying to interfere with everyone's election and that's the bar that we lose track of present to them sowing chaos and sowing uncertainty with our democracy is their key goal. At the end of it it'll seem to be as focused on a candidate as they are just trying to be able to bring down our entire system. Their system is a dictatorship there'd system is dominated by prudent in by his perspectives on it. And they destroy everyone else this is what they did the Ukraine. Where they consulate gave false information out on line the constant push on journalist I constant push on their system to try to bring their system down. And we can and as much as they can they've done this and other countries now they're doing it to us as well we should respond with sanctions we should try to push back and also understand they're gonna go after every candidate. Through the process. And I was looking this week the New York Times. And there are certainly some election interference as you say that the New York Times is reporting that intelligence officials. Say that despite attempts to infiltrate the online accounts and two senate Democrats up for reelection. Intelligence officials said that aims they have seen little activity by Russian military hackers aimed at either major American political figures. Or state voter registration systems by comparison. According to intelligence officials and executives of the companies that oversee the world's computer networks. There is surprisingly far more effort directed in implanting malware. In the electrical grid. Are reducing evidence of that I. As well. So ready to go on to detail will we have what we haven't seen on the intelligence side I would just say that we have seen a very active Russian operation. Trying to get in the misinformation and that's trying to be able to get ad not our elections systems but to be it would gotten a public opinion. What on line trying to be able push the traditional media the second side of it that Woolsey is what the Russians did in 2016 trying to be it would get two different voter databases. The hard part about that is it's very difficult to see it until after it's already done. I for many of those cases so our I would not be as forward leaning to say. There's nothing going on I would say the speed of its compared to this same point in 2016 is much less than what it was in 2016. And but the hard part is what you don't know. And president trump says wetter were put news coming to. Washington next year he's invited him to the White House do you think that's a good I did given what's going on. I'll have a having dialogue without a serious is there's always a positive thing. Unveil a try to bring the noise down ability it to engage in these issues it what are the Russians interfering in our elections. Even with the Russians are fair elections we need to be able have dialogues with them when you to have open lines of communication the same as what President Obama did in the past when he had open meetings are with prudent knowing that Bruton was trying to interfere in our elections. It's appropriate for trump to be able do the same thing. The big issue though is we've got to be able to push back with force. Having a meeting in just saying we had a dialogue to have a dialogue doesn't fix anything. Where to be able late on sanctions we're to be able pushed back real force which drivel confronting issues as fast as possible and as the Russians are interfering for the executive branch should be able to push out. The information as quickly as possible say this is what they're doing and I want the entire world to be don't know what they're doing. Hey thanks very much senator lengths art. Thank you.

This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.