President Trump’s nominee to serve as the U.S. ambassador to Russia said Tuesday there is “no question” Russia meddled in the 2016 election.
“There is no question, underline no question, that the Russian government interfered in the U.S. election last year, and Moscow continues to meddle in the democratic processes of our friends and allies,” Jon Huntsman, the former governor of Utah, told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
Trump nominated Huntsman to serve as the ambassador to Russia in July, and he is expected to face easy confirmation in the Senate. In addition to serving as the governor of Utah, Huntsman was also the U.S. ambassador to Singapore and China.
The Russian government denies any involvement in the 2016 election, but Huntsman said he wouldn’t hesitate to broach the issue with officials in Moscow.
“I will also not hesitate to remind government officials that they are accountable for their actions,” he said. “Exhibit A is the fact that interference in the U.S. election has led directly to the current low level of trust in the relationship.”
Four intelligence agencies agree Russia attempted to influence the 2016 election, but it’s a conclusion Trump has been reluctant to embrace. On numerous occasions, Trump has said he believes Russia, as well as other countries, could have meddled in the election.
The president has also questioned why former President Barack Obama and his administration didn’t try to stop Russia from interfering, and called the federal government’s investigation into Russian meddling a “witch hunt.”
