‘Audacious’: Ex-CIA officer warns Russians aren't just electing politicians but want to change America itself

On Monday, Phil Mudd shamed Russian intelligence, in light of a New York Times report that revealed they specifically targeted Africans Americans and other minority groups in the 2016 elections.

During an interview with CNN's Jake Tapper, Mudd said that the Russians were not just attacking the Africans American vote, but sought to influence America's culture.

"If you look at the sophistication of the operation, some of it, I'm not a political expert, but even as an average American, I'm looking at this saying this is voter suppression," he said.

Mudd explained, "This is a way to both energize people who support the president and also discourage people who don't potentially support this president. This is a very sophisticated, huge effort to say, 'how do we stop people from voting in America?'"

He then explained that "Russian's thousands of miles away" are studying America day-by-day. Mudd called the Russian operation "audacious."

"They are not trying to change elections, they are trying to change America," he said.

Watch the interview below via CNN.