President Obama told NBC News on Monday it’s possible the Russians are trying to affect the U.S. election by hacking into the Democratic National Committee server and leaking emails that portray party members negatively.
Reporter Savannah Guthrie asked the president if he believed Russia broke into the private system to influence the election and help Republican nominee Donald Trump.
“Anything’s possible,” Obama said.
Obama, scheduled to speak at the Democratic National Convention Wednesday night, pointed out that Trump has voiced a favorable view of Russian President Vladimir Putin. He suggested Putin may prefer Trump as president over Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton.
“I am basing this on what Mr. Trump himself has said. And I think that Trump’s gotten pretty favorable coverage back in Russia,” Obama said during his pre-taped interview.
Despite laying out a hypothetical motive, the president said Russia has not been confirmed by the FBI as the perpetrator, but is a likely suspect in light of previous hacks into government and private systems.
