Trump acknowledges Russia role in U.S. election hacking - aide

[webfact]

Trump acknowledges Russia role in U.S. election hacking - aide

By Toni Clarke and Dustin Volz

 

Incoming White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus (R) and U.S. Army Lieutenant General Michael Flynn (C) look at U.S. President-elect Donald Trump as he talks with the media at Mar-a-Lago estate where Trump attends meetings, in Palm Beach, Florida, U.S., December 21, 2016. REUTERS/Carlos Barria

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President-elect Donald Trump accepts the U.S. intelligence community's conclusion that Russia engaged in cyber attacks during the U.S. presidential election and may take action in response, his incoming chief of staff said on Sunday.

 

Reince Priebus said Trump believed Russia was behind the intrusions into the Democratic Party organizations, although Priebus did not clarify whether the president-elect agreed that the hacks were directed by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

 

"He accepts the fact that this particular case was entities in Russia, so that's not the issue," Priebus said on "Fox News Sunday."

 

It was the first acknowledgment from a senior member of the Republican president-elect's team that Trump had accepted that Russia directed the hacking and subsequent disclosure of Democratic emails during the 2016 presidential election.

 

Trump had rebuffed allegations that Russia was behind the hacks or was trying to help him win, saying the intrusions could have been carried out by China or a 400-pound hacker on his bed.

 

With less than two weeks until his Jan. 20 inauguration, Trump has come under increasing pressure from fellow Republicans to accept intelligence community findings on Russian hacking and other attempts by Moscow to influence the Nov. 8 election. A crucial test of Republican support for Trump comes this week with the first confirmation hearings for his Cabinet picks.

 

A U.S. intelligence report last week said Putin directed a sophisticated influence campaign including cyber attacks to denigrate Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and support Trump.

 

The report, commissioned by Democratic President Barack Obama in December, concluded vote tallies were not affected by Russian interference, but did not assess whether it influenced the outcome of the vote in other ways.

 

'ACTION MAY BE TAKEN'

 

After receiving a briefing on Friday from leaders of the U.S. intelligence agencies, Trump did not refer specifically to Russia's role in the presidential campaign.

 

In a statement, he acknowledged that "Russia, China, other countries, outside groups and people are consistently trying to break through the cyber infrastructure of our governmental institutions, businesses and organizations including the Democrat(ic) National Committee."

 

Trump spokesman Sean Spicer told Reuters the president-elect's conclusions remained the same and that Priebus' comments were in line with Friday's statement.

 

Priebus, the former Republican National Committee chairman Trump tapped as White House chief of staff, said Trump planned to order the intelligence community to make recommendations as to what should be done. "Action may be taken," he said, adding there was nothing wrong with trying to have a good relationship with Russia and other countries.

 

Republican lawmakers pushed back on Sunday on the strategy of cozying up to Putin.

 

Two senior Republican senators urged Trump to punish Russia in response to U.S. intelligence agencies' conclusion that Putin personally directed efforts aimed at influencing the election.

 

Appearing on NBC's "Meet the Press," Senators Lindsey Graham and John McCain said evidence was conclusive that Putin sought to influence the election - a point that Trump has refuted.

 

"In a couple weeks, Donald Trump will be the defender of the free world and democracy," Graham said. "You should let everybody know in America, Republicans and Democrats, that you're going to make Russia pay a price for trying to interfere."

 

On Saturday, Trump wrote on Twitter that having a better relationship with Russia was a "good thing."

 

U.S. Representative Devin Nunes, the Republican chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, said three U.S. presidents had tried and failed to be friends with Putin.

 

"I’m just not sure it’s possible," Nunes said on the "Fox News Sunday" program. "I’ve cautioned his administration to be careful with Putin, as he remains a bad actor."

 

The ranking Democrat on the committee, Adam Schiff, said it was alarming to Democrats and Republicans to hear the president-elect continue to speak in terms of "making nice" with Putin.

 

"It's not realistic and we need to be clear-eyed and sober about just what the Russians are about," Schiff said on CNN's "State of the Union."

 

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell agreed it was not unusual for a new president to want to get along with the Russians. He added on CBS, however, that the Russians remained a "big adversary, and they demonstrated it by trying to mess around in our election."

 

Obama, who himself tried to "reset" relations with Russia after he took office in 2009, told NBC he did not think he had underestimated the Russian president.

 

"But I think that I underestimated the degree to which, in this new information age, it is possible for misinformation for cyber hacking and so forth to have an impact on our open societies, our open systems, to insinuate themselves into our democratic practices in ways that I think are accelerating," he said in an interview with "Meet the Press" broadcast on Sunday.

 

(Additional reporting and writing by Doina Chiacu; Editing by Caren Bohan and Peter Cooney)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-01-09

[craigt3365]

What a change for Reince.  Zero respect for this guy.

 

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/12/11/reince-priebus-lies-about-russian-hacking-on-tv.html

 

Quote

 

Reince Priebus Lies About Russian Hacking on TV

Trump’s incoming chief of staff says there’s no conclusive report about whether Russia tried to influence the 2016 election. That’s flat-out not true.

......

He also tried to cast doubt on the generally accepted idea that it was the Russians who were behind the hacking.

 

 

What a change....

[pegman]

Tit for tat. CIA directs coup d'état in Ukraine  to remove Russian friendly gov, what does the USA expect in return. 

http://thehill.com/policy/international/207053-putin-says-us-backed-a-coup-in-ukraine

 

[IMA_FARANG]

At least he is growing up now.

He is still a fool to be so nieve, but he is learning with time anyhow.

I'm surprised he is actually learning, I didn't think he had that capability

Every country that ia not on the U.S "special friends" list (which has meant the U.K, Australia, and Iseal in the past tor or three presidencies)  has been either suspected or seen by the U.S. intelligence or caught hacking or attempting to hack U.S Department of Defence sources in the last 20 years or so.

 

 

[elgordo38]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

 

Trump had rebuffed allegations that Russia was behind the hacks or was trying to help him win, saying the intrusions could have been carried out by China or a 400-pound hacker on his bed.

Americans stand proud this is your leader in waiting speaking. 

Edited January 9, 2017 by elgordo38

[mike324]

Another case that Trump has to take back his word... when he is officially president, he won't be able to take back his words as easy without repercussions.

[IAMHERE]

I wondered why I voted for Trump, it was the Russians what made me do it.

[Srikcir]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

Trump accepts the U.S. intelligence community's conclusion that Russia engaged in cyber attacks during the U.S. presidential election

Just coincidentally three days ago former CIA director James Woolsey left Trump's transition team as senior advisor on national security and intelligence. Woolsey refused say the reason other than to say he wasn't giving Trump advice(?). Maybe more like his advice wasn't being accepted. And that was before he heard during his interveiw with CNN about the CIA discovering the identity of the "in-between" persons who conveyed the Russian hacked material to Wikileaks. In response Woolsey said such new information confirms Russia as the hacking sponsor.

 

Maybe Woolsey quick departure shook up the transition team and Trump enough that Trump finally and grudgingly conceded Russian hacking of the POTUS election.

[craigt3365]

4 hours ago, pegman said:

Tit for tat. CIA directs coup d'état in Ukraine  to remove Russian friendly gov, what does the USA expect in return. 

http://thehill.com/policy/international/207053-putin-says-us-backed-a-coup-in-ukraine

 

Yes, that bastion of truth, Putin.  100% believe anything he says. 

[Boon Mee]

"He accepts the fact that this particular case was entities in Russia, so that's not the issue," Priebus said on "Fox News Sunday."

And that's basically the crux of the whole issue.

[JulesMad]

trumpy is too much a coward to speak for himself; someone says that he now believes.....
I guess he is only allowed to tweet his nonsense

[mrfill]

The last president who monumentally pissed off the CIA was JFK. And it didn't do him much good.

[dunroaming]

Let's keep the expectations low when it comes to Trump.  That way nobody will be disappointed.

[Opl]

9 minutes ago, JulesMad said:

trumpy is too much a coward to speak for himself; someone says that he now believes.....
I guess he is only allowed to tweet his nonsense

 

It  would be like admitting reality :

- he has been choosen by a minority of voters

- and helped during the campaign by Russia

Dealing with Putin in this position..  so he better not recognizes it himself, so he still can deny

 

Edited January 9, 2017 by Opl

[craigt3365]

24 minutes ago, Boon Mee said:

"He accepts the fact that this particular case was entities in Russia, so that's not the issue," Priebus said on "Fox News Sunday."

And that's basically the crux of the whole issue.

The crux being Trump now admits Russia did the hacks?

[connda]

Having a good relationship with Russia is a good thing, not a bad thing. Only “stupid” people, or fools, would think that it is bad! We…..

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 7, 2017

have enough problems around the world without yet another one. When I am President, Russia will respect us far more than they do now and….

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 7, 2017

both countries will, perhaps, work together to solve some of the many great and pressing problems and issues of the WORLD!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 7, 2017

Edited January 9, 2017 by connda

[smotherb]

9 hours ago, craigt3365 said:

What a change for Reince.  Zero respect for this guy.

 

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/12/11/reince-priebus-lies-about-russian-hacking-on-tv.html

 

 

What a change....

The Trumpeter's focus is on misinformation--don't let fact get in the way of what the plebes want to hear.

[craigt3365]

12 hours ago, connda said:

Having a good relationship with Russia is a good thing, not a bad thing. Only “stupid” people, or fools, would think that it is bad! We…..

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 7, 2017

have enough problems around the world without yet another one. When I am President, Russia will respect us far more than they do now and….

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 7, 2017

both countries will, perhaps, work together to solve some of the many great and pressing problems and issues of the WORLD!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 7, 2017

Unfortunately, many are drinking Trump's kool aid.  He's already proven to not tell the truth.  Hard to believe what he says any more.

 

His Tweets look like they come from a 14 year old spoiled boy.

[JKfarang]

This is nothing more than another diversionary tactic by the US govt.  And yes, I am an American. Personally, I couldn’t care less how the information was obtained.   The people should be told the truth regardless of its source. In my opinion, what should be investigated is whether Hillary Clinton and the Democratic National Committee effectively stole the nomination from Bernie Sanders.  Though we will never know whether he would have been a good president, both Hillary and The Donald were terrible choices.

 

In addition, voter suppression laws may have prevented hundreds of thousands of eligible voters nationwide from casting their votes and/or having them included in the results.  Given that less than 60% of eligible voters even do so, voters suppression and other similar tactics could have a huge impact on elections at all levels of the US govt.

 

These are the kinds of issues that Americans should be discussing if they really care about “fair” elections.  Bud sadly, the diversionary tactics continue to be very effective.  As an off topic example,  it’s amazing (and very scary ) to me that many Americans actually believe “weapons of mass destruction” were found in Iraq during George W.’s administration.

 

[craigt3365]

15 minutes ago, JKfarang said:

This is nothing more than another diversionary tactic by the US govt.  And yes, I am an American. Personally, I couldn’t care less how the information was obtained.   The people should be told the truth regardless of its source. In my opinion, what should be investigated is whether Hillary Clinton and the Democratic National Committee effectively stole the nomination from Bernie Sanders.  Though we will never know whether he would have been a good president, both Hillary and The Donald were terrible choices.

 

In addition, voter suppression laws may have prevented hundreds of thousands of eligible voters nationwide from casting their votes and/or having them included in the results.  Given that less than 60% of eligible voters even do so, voters suppression and other similar tactics could have a huge impact on elections at all levels of the US govt.

 

These are the kinds of issues that Americans should be discussing if they really care about “fair” elections.  Bud sadly, the diversionary tactics continue to be very effective.  As an off topic example,  it’s amazing (and very scary ) to me that many Americans actually believe “weapons of mass destruction” were found in Iraq during George W.’s administration.

 

So if a hacker got into your emails and found out you broke federal tax laws, and you were arrested, you'd be OK with that?  Because as an American, I couldn't care less how the information was obtained.

 

WMD is off topic.

[JKfarang]

On 1/10/2017 at 10:46 AM, craigt3365 said:

So if a hacker got into your emails and found out you broke federal tax laws, and you were arrested, you'd be OK with that?  Because as an American, I couldn't care less how the information was obtained.

 

WMD is off topic.

 

I apologize for my late response.  I rarely log into TV.  Personally, I couldn't care less if a "hacker" got into my emails. There's no incriminating evidence to find and, unlike Hillary, I'm not stupid enough to put anything important in an unsecured email message anyway.  I'm more worried about my paranoid govt (or their automated search algorithms) misinterpreting something I've said or deciding an insignificant person like me is somehow, in some delusional way of thinking some kind of "threat to national security".

 

As stated in last sentence of my post.... "As an off topic example...".  Next time, try reading before you criticize about something that is not that important anyway.