House Speaker Paul Ryan appears to back Donald Trump’s plan to reform the U.S. intelligence community.
Ryan, R-Wis., told reporters Thursday that U.S. intelligence officials “don’t always get everything right,” and pointed to the post-9/11 overhaul as an example of how the system can be changed for the better.
“Look, we overhauled this about a decade ago after 9/11, when we realized the intelligence community wasn’t getting things right,” Ryan said. “Clearly there is room for improving these things.”
Senior Trump transition officials told media outlets on Thursday that Trump is planning to reform the major intelligence agencies because they have become politicized and too large. Trump has also been at odds with agency claims that the Russians hacked into the email systems of Democratic officials in an effort to influence the election and help him beat Hillary Clinton.
Ryan said he believes Russia “clearly tried to meddle” in the political system. But he also sided with Trump, who he said is “legitimately upset” about efforts by the Democrats to delegitimize his victory.
“That is just bogus,” Ryan said. “He won fair and square. He won clearly and convincingly. Russia didn’t tell Hillary Clinton not to go to Wisconsin and Michigan. They didn’t put the server in the basement or put the stuff on Anthony Weiner’s laptop.”
Still, Ryan said the government needs to ensure “outside actors don’t interfere in our political system.”
