President Obama is being briefed by U.S. intelligence officials Thursday morning on a new report about Russia’s cyberactivities in the 2008, 2012 and 2016 elections.
“The White House does have the report and President Obama is being briefed on it by a range of senior individuals who are on his national security team. It’s happening right now,” White House press secretary Josh Earnest told reporters.
Obama had requested a full review of Moscow’s hack-and-release operations late last month, urging the intelligence community to deliver it to him by Jan. 20. “So they are beating that deadline by a couple of weeks,” Earnest noted.
Intelligence officials have also been directed to brief lawmakers on Capitol Hill about their findings, as well as President-elect Trump, before making portions of the report available to the public. The incoming Republican president, who has been skeptical of Russian interference in the 2016 election, will receive his briefing at Trump Tower on Friday.
