Dick Cheney: Russian Election Meddling Could Be 'Act of War'

Former Vice President Dick Cheney said Russian attempted interference with the 2016 presidential election could be considered "an act of war."

His comments came Monday in an address at the Economic Times' Global Business Summit 2017 in New Delhi.

"There's no question there was a very serious effort made by Mr. [Vladimir] Putin and his government, his organization, to interfere in major ways with our basic fundamental democratic processes," Cheney said.

"In some quarters, that would be considered an act of war. I think it's a kind of conduct and activity we will see going forward. We know he's attempted it previously in other states in the Baltics," Cheney said, according to video of the remarks.

"I would not underestimate the weight, that we as Americans, assign to the Russian attempts to interfere with our internal political processes."

And The Hill noted that some Democratic lawmakers had also charged that Russian election meddling amounted to an act of war.

"I actually think that their engagement was an act of war, an act of hybrid warfare, and I think that's why the American people should be concerned about it," Rep. Jackie Speier ,D-Calif., said at a House Intelligence Committee hearing on Russian election interference last week.

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