The Obama administration defended U.S. intelligence officials on Monday in response to President-elect Trump’s mounting criticism of recent intelligence on Russia’s alleged interference in the 2016 presidential election.

“President Obama’s experience over the last eight years has been that the men and women of the intelligence community of the U.S. are patriots,” White House press secretary Josh Earnest told reporters. “These are men and women with specialized skills, in many cases, who have chosen not just to dedicate their careers, but dedicate their lives to our national security.”