Trump accuses Schiff of leaking intelligence about Russia to hurt Sanders

[webfact]

Trump accuses Schiff of leaking intelligence about Russia to hurt Sanders

By Jeff Mason and Tim Ahmann

 

U.S. President Donald Trump addresses a campaign rally at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S., February 21, 2020. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump on Sunday accused Representative Adam Schiff of leaking classified information on Russian interference in the 2020 U.S. election to hurt Democratic presidential front-runner Bernie Sanders.

 

Speaking to reporters as he left the White House for a trip to India, Trump said he had not been briefed on intelligence that Russia was aiming to boost the campaign of Sanders, a U.S. senator from Vermont, and he called for a probe into Schiff for the leak. Schiff, a Democrat, denied the allegation.

 

A congressional source told Reuters on Friday that intelligence officials had told lawmakers Russia appears to be engaging in disinformation and propaganda campaigns to help both Sanders and Trump, who is seeking re-election.

 

"I read where Russia is helping Bernie Sanders. Nobody said it to me at all. Nobody briefed me about that at all," Trump said.

 

"They leaked it, Adam Schiff and his group. They leaked it to the papers and - as usual - they ought to investigate Adam Schiff for leaking that information," Trump said, without providing any evidence to back up his claims.

 

Schiff, who served as the lead prosecutor in Trump's impeachment trial in the Senate, said Trump was seeking to turn attention away from his own actions with the comments.

 

"Nice deflection, Mr. President. But your false claims fool no one," he wrote in a tweet. "You welcomed Russian help in 2016, tried to coerce Ukraine’s help in 2019, and won’t protect our elections in 2020. Now you fired your intel chief for briefing Congress about it. You’ve betrayed America. Again."

 

U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday accused Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff of leaking classified information on Russian interference in the 2020 election - which Schiff refuted by saying, "your false claims fool no one." Yahaira Jacquez reports.

 

Trump changed out his acting director of national intelligence Joseph Maguire and replaced him with U.S. Ambassador to Germany Richard Grenell last week, reportedly after being annoyed by the briefing to lawmakers about Russian interference.

 

The president has repeatedly cast doubt on U.S. intelligence findings that Russia intervened to help him in the 2016 presidential election against Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton, the former secretary of state.

 

By raising questions about the latest findings, Trump appears to be seeking to boost Sanders, who is now the front-runner for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination. As a self-described democratic socialist, Sanders is a candidate Trump would like to take on in a general election to bolster his argument that Democrats are pushing a socialist agenda.

 

Trump has long argued that the Democratic Party favored Clinton unfairly over Sanders in the 2016 primary race, an issue that still divides the Democratic base.

 

"I think what it could be is, you know, the Democrats are treating Bernie Sanders very unfairly and it sounds to me like a leak from Adam Schiff because they don't want Bernie Sanders to represent them. It sounds like it's (2016) all over again for Bernie Sanders," Trump said.

 

Other administration officials have cast doubt on reports that Russia was trying to help Trump again this year.

 

"I haven't seen any intelligence that Russia is doing anything to attempt to get President Trump re-elected," White House National Security Adviser Robert O'Brien told ABC's "This Week."

 

(Reporting by Jeff Mason and Tim Ahmann; Editing by Lisa Shumaker and Bill Berkrot)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-02-24

Follow Thaivisa on LINE for breaking Thailand news and visa info

[heybruce]

" By raising questions about the latest findings, Trump appears to be seeking to boost Sanders, who is now the front-runner for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination. As a self-described democratic socialist, Sanders is a candidate Trump would like to take on in a general election to bolster his argument that Democrats are pushing a socialist agenda. "

 

No kidding.  Trump would love to run against Sanders.

[OneMoreFarang]

Since when does Trump listen to information from the CIA?

As we all know he gets his "knowledge" from FOX "news".

[PatOngo]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

The president has repeatedly cast doubt on U.S. intelligence

He confirms this every time he looks in the mirror!

[khaowong1]

Hell, the whole Democrat party is after Bernie.  His way left socialist stance is hurting them really bad. 

[keith101]

An accusation from mister disclosure what a joke .

[Boon Mee]

Schiff can't give up on his never-ending Witch Hunt. 

This guy needs to go. 

[legend49]

I read where Russia is helping Bernie Sanders

 

He cant read so there lies the problem, lie number 15001.

[Sujo]

5 minutes ago, Boon Mee said:

Schiff can't give up on his never-ending Witch Hunt. 

This guy needs to go. 

Why do you think schiff did anything. Quick to judgment with no evidence. As opposed to when its to do with trump.

[Paul Henry]

Correction not 15,001 lies it is actually over 16000 as of last week, and this would be president has the gall to make issue claiming other people told a lie.Does Trump really believe that the average American can not see through his constant ridiculous lies. Truly a mentally sick man 

[PatOngo]

1 hour ago, Paul Henry said:

Correction not 15,001 lies it is actually over 16000 as of last week, and this would be president has the gall to make issue claiming other people told a lie.Does Trump really believe that the average American can not see through his constant ridiculous lies. Truly a mentally sick man 

But still the majority of those who took the time and effort to actually vote, voted for him!???

[Sujo]

11 minutes ago, PatOngo said:

But still the majority of those who took the time and effort to actually vote, voted for him!???

No they didnt.

[WalkingOrders]

3 minutes ago, Sujo said:

No they didnt.

Our Republic has an Electoral college. The popular vote has not always produced the winner.

[Bluespunk]

4 hours ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Since when does Trump listen to information from the CIA?

As we all know he gets his "knowledge" from FOX "news".

To be fair, he also accepts what Putin says above his own intelligence agencies. So he has at least two sources...

[Bluespunk]

46 minutes ago, PatOngo said:

But still the majority of those who took the time and effort to actually vote, voted for him!???

trump was elected with a minority of votes cast by those who took the time and effort to do so..

[pmarlin]

3 hours ago, PatOngo said:

He confirms this every time he looks in the mirror!

He confirms that is right more often than the bad intel he has been getting and what previous presidents got.

[heybruce]

2 minutes ago, pmarlin said:

He confirms that is right more often than the bad intel he has been getting and what previous presidents got.

Examples?

[PatOngo]

11 minutes ago, Bluespunk said:

trump was elected with a minority of votes cast by those who took the time and effort to do so..

Point being, how many get off their lazy a$$e$ and actually get out and vote? 

[heybruce]

43 minutes ago, WalkingOrders said:

Our Republic has an Electoral college. The popular vote has not always produced the winner.

Correct.  However that doesn't change the fact that PatOngo's post was incorrect.

[heybruce]

1 hour ago, PatOngo said:

But still the majority of those who took the time and effort to actually vote, voted for him!???

No.  A large minority voted for him.  That was enough to win the Electoral College.

[PatOngo]

1 minute ago, heybruce said:

No.  A large minority voted for him.  That was enough to win the Electoral College.

The popular vote has little meaning, strange system!

[theonetrueaussie]

17 minutes ago, Bluespunk said:

To be fair, he also accepts what Putin says above his own intelligence agencies. So he has at least two sources...

Once you remove all the illegal immigrant votes then yes Trump did win the popular vote....But hey massive investigation into Russian interference but every investigation attempt into illegal immigrants voting was shut down by the democrats....Seems like the democrats REALLY care about the integrity of the elections.....

[mlmcleod]

I have no problem if Trump has proof!  More bulletproof than the "proof" that his lawyers used at his impeachment.  Otherwise, I must assume that the BIG LIE is alive and well in the White House!

[OneMoreFarang]

8 minutes ago, pmarlin said:

4 hours ago, PatOngo said:

He confirms this every time he looks in the mirror!

He confirms that is right more often than the bad intel he has been getting and what previous presidents got.

And you know that because of which insider information?

[Jingthing]

9 minutes ago, PatOngo said:

Point being, how many get off their lazy a$$e$ and actually get out and vote? 

Yeah, sure, but the tragic undemocratic reality of American presidential elections is that voters in less than 10 states really matter in such elections, and the voters in the vast majority of states know that too. So if Americans in the vast majority of states do come out in presidential years it's more a matter of showing solidarity and for down ballot and sometimes ballot proposition reasons. Of course down ballot contests are important too.

 

So as far as presidential contests go, the message that people should vote is much more compelling in a very limited number of states.

 

I haven't ever voted in a swing state that matters in presidential elections so I know what I'm talking about.

 

Look at California. The largest population and basically CASTRATED at the presidential level. It's guaranteed for the democrats so both parties only go there to raise money. That's a very sick, very undemocratic situation. 

Edited February 24, 2020 by Jingthing

[Jingthing]

2 minutes ago, theonetrueaussie said:

Once you remove all the illegal immigrant votes then yes Trump did win the popular vote ...

That is incorrect propaganda. 

[Bluespunk]

5 minutes ago, theonetrueaussie said:

Once you remove all the illegal immigrant votes then yes Trump did win the popular vote....But hey massive investigation into Russian interference but every investigation attempt into illegal immigrants voting was shut down by the democrats....Seems like the democrats REALLY care about the integrity of the elections.....

Lol

[Jingthing]

Just now, OneMoreFarang said:

There shouldn't be any swing states.

How difficult is it to acknowledge that Trump is a right wing serial liar? It's obvious and everybody who votes for him can describe themselves as a supporter of a right wing serial liar. Please god give them some brain.

Don't hold your breath! He's got that base that will support him no matter what, as has been proven again and again.

[heybruce]

9 minutes ago, theonetrueaussie said:

Once you remove all the illegal immigrant votes then yes Trump did win the popular vote....But hey massive investigation into Russian interference but every investigation attempt into illegal immigrants voting was shut down by the democrats....Seems like the democrats REALLY care about the integrity of the elections.....

Right....All those millions of illegal immigrants illegally voting for Hillary.  Funny that after more than three years in office Trump's people haven't been able to identify a single one of them.

[Farangwithaplan]

4 hours ago, khaowong1 said:

Hell, the whole Democrat party is after Bernie.  His way left socialist stance is hurting them really bad. 

The democrat party is imploding. They are all cutting each other at the knees and will soon need to then, forgive and forget and get behind the last injured candidate standing.

 

Surely this mob can't be the best offering to run against Republicans who have given plenty of opportunity to be defeated.