Trump concedes Russian hack
In a new briefing which included a tirade against US media, President-elect Donald Trump said it may have been the Russians that hacked the Democrats.
President-elect Donald Trump speculated on Wednesday that US intelligence agencies might have leaked details about a classified briefing with him that included unsubstantiated allegations that Russia had collected compromising sexual and financial information about him.
He said any such information was not true: “It's all fake news. It's phony stuff. It didn't happen.”
“I think it's pretty sad when intelligence reports get leaked out to the press,” Trump said.
His comments marked his latest round of insults thrown at US intelligence agencies, the same agencies he will have to rely on to help him make major national security directions once he takes the White House next week.
Trump was referring to a dossier that contained unproven information about close coordination between Trump's inner circle and Russians, including details about Russian hacking into Democratic accounts.
Hacking allegations
On Tuesday, FBI director James Comey refused to say whether the FBI was investigating any possible ties between Russia and Trump's presidential campaign, citing a policy not to comment on what the FBI might or might not be doing.
There is nothing to suggest the intelligence agencies told news outlets that a summary of the dossier was included in Trump's classified briefing last week about Russian election meddling.
President Barack Obama was also briefed on the dossier last Thursday.
A summary of the allegations was included as an add-on to a classified assessment of Russia's suspected election- interference efforts.
That classified report tied Russian President Vladimir Putin to the hacking of email accounts of the Democratic National Committee and individual Democrats, including Hillary Clinton's campaign chairman, John Podesta.
Trump acknowledged Wednesday, for the first time, that he believed Russia was responsible for the hacking.
“As far as hacking, I think it was Russia,” Trump said. “But I think we also get hacked by other countries and other people.”
Trump condemned what he said was “maybe” leaks by US intelligence agencies.
It would be a “tremendous blot on their record if they in fact did that.
A tremendous blot, because a thing like that should have never been written, it should never have been had and it should certainly never been released,” Trump said at a news conference.
He likened the release to Nazi Germany, saying it is “disgraceful that the intelligence agencies allowed any information — that turned out to be so false and fake — out.”
The CIA and the office of the director of national intelligence declined to comment.
Although they had not been able to verify details in the dossier, the belief in the intelligence community was that it needed to be shared with Trump, given how many media outlets were already aware of the file.
NAMPA/AP
He said any such information was not true: “It's all fake news. It's phony stuff. It didn't happen.”
“I think it's pretty sad when intelligence reports get leaked out to the press,” Trump said.
His comments marked his latest round of insults thrown at US intelligence agencies, the same agencies he will have to rely on to help him make major national security directions once he takes the White House next week.
Trump was referring to a dossier that contained unproven information about close coordination between Trump's inner circle and Russians, including details about Russian hacking into Democratic accounts.
Hacking allegations
On Tuesday, FBI director James Comey refused to say whether the FBI was investigating any possible ties between Russia and Trump's presidential campaign, citing a policy not to comment on what the FBI might or might not be doing.
There is nothing to suggest the intelligence agencies told news outlets that a summary of the dossier was included in Trump's classified briefing last week about Russian election meddling.
President Barack Obama was also briefed on the dossier last Thursday.
A summary of the allegations was included as an add-on to a classified assessment of Russia's suspected election- interference efforts.
That classified report tied Russian President Vladimir Putin to the hacking of email accounts of the Democratic National Committee and individual Democrats, including Hillary Clinton's campaign chairman, John Podesta.
Trump acknowledged Wednesday, for the first time, that he believed Russia was responsible for the hacking.
“As far as hacking, I think it was Russia,” Trump said. “But I think we also get hacked by other countries and other people.”
Trump condemned what he said was “maybe” leaks by US intelligence agencies.
It would be a “tremendous blot on their record if they in fact did that.
A tremendous blot, because a thing like that should have never been written, it should never have been had and it should certainly never been released,” Trump said at a news conference.
He likened the release to Nazi Germany, saying it is “disgraceful that the intelligence agencies allowed any information — that turned out to be so false and fake — out.”
The CIA and the office of the director of national intelligence declined to comment.
Although they had not been able to verify details in the dossier, the belief in the intelligence community was that it needed to be shared with Trump, given how many media outlets were already aware of the file.
NAMPA/AP
Comments
Namibian Sun
No comments have been left on this article