Donald Trump said Wednesday that he believes the hack of emails of officials of the Democratic National Committee was backed by Russia.
At a press conference in New York, Fox News reporter John Roberts asked Trump if he agreed with the assessment of intelligence officials who briefed the president-elect last Friday that Russia was behind the hack, which resulted in the exposure of emails among DNC and Hillary Clinton campaign officials last year. The intelligence community also believes there was a failed attempt to hack the Republican National Committee as well.
“As far as hacking, I think it was Russia,” Trump said. But the president-elect quickly downplayed the significance of this, adding, “But I think we also get hacked by other countries and other people.”
Trump had previously expressed skepticism that the Russian government was behind the hack, suggesting at one point that the perpertrator could be a “400-pound man.” But following intelligence briefings similar to those that Trump received, Republican senators on the Intelligence committee say they have no doubt Russia and its president, Vladimir Putin, were behind the cyberattack.
Update: When asked later what he would say to Putin about the hacking, Trump said, “He shouldn’t be doing it. He won’t be doing it. Russia will have much greater respect for our country when I’m leading it.” The president-elect did not answer a question about whether or not he or any of his political advisers had been in touch with Russian officials during the campaign.
