Former US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has claimed that Russian President Vladimir Putin interfered in the 2016 US presidential election out of fear of Hillary Clinton. Pelosi spoke at the Columbia School of International and Public Affairs, stating that Putin's interference was due to his fear of Clinton's clarity and position towards him. According to Pelosi, Putin ensured to come out against Clinton's campaign in an illegal manner.
The US intelligence community found that Putin had ordered an interference campaign to meddle in the election with the aim of damaging Clinton's bid against Donald Trump. The interference included cyberattacks and hacking into the Democratic National Committee (DNC) server to obtain emails and documents. Clinton had previously served as the Secretary of State under former President Barack Obama and publicly criticized Putin's reelection in 2011.
Clinton lost the 2016 election to Donald Trump, who has denied any interference on behalf of Russia in the election. In 2018, Trump stated that he had "great confidence" in his intelligence people, but also claimed that Putin was "extremely strong and powerful in his denial" during a joint press conference.
Despite Pelosi's claims, some experts have noted that Putin's interference was likely aimed at destabilizing American democracy rather than any specific candidate. However, Pelosi's remarks reflect the continuing concern among some US officials and lawmakers over Russia's ongoing efforts to interfere in American politics.