Trump accuses U.S. spy agencies of Nazi practices over 'phony' Russia dossier

[webfact]

Trump accuses U.S. spy agencies of Nazi practices over 'phony' Russia dossier

By Ayesha Rascoe

REUTERS

 

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump listens to questions from reporters in the lobby at Trump Tower in New York, U.S., January 9, 2017. REUTERS/Mike Segar/File Photo

 

NEW YORK (Reuters) - President-elect Donald Trump escalated a fight with U.S. spy agencies on Wednesday, just nine days before he takes over their command as president, and accused them of practices reminiscent of Nazi Germany.

 

The Republican said leaks from the intelligence community led to some U.S. media outlets reporting unsubstantiated claims that he was caught in a compromising position in Russia.

 

"I think it was disgraceful, disgraceful that the intelligence agencies allowed any information that turned out to be so false and fake out. I think it's a disgrace, and I say that ... that's something that Nazi Germany would have done and did do," Trump told a news conference in New York.

 

For the first time, Trump acknowledged that Russia likely hacked the Democratic National Committee and the emails of top Democrats during the 2016 presidential election. "I think it was Russia,” he said, pointing out that other countries were also hacking the United States.

 

Trump’s comments about spy agencies such as the CIA are likely to intensify tensions between the intelligence community and the president-elect, who initially disparaged its conclusion that a Russian hacking campaign was aimed at boosting his candidacy against Democrat Hillary Clinton.

 

Trump, who takes office on Jan. 20, called a dossier that makes salacious claims about him in Russia "fake news" and "phony stuff."

 

MEMO AND REPORTS

 

Two U.S. officials said the allegations about Trump, which one called "unsubstantiated," were contained in a two-page memo appended to a report on Russian interference in the 2016 election that was presented last week to Trump and to President Barack Obama.

 

Trump said, without offering evidence, that the news he had been briefed on the memo "was released by maybe the (U.S.) intelligence agencies. Who knows? But maybe the intelligence agencies which would be a tremendous blot on their record if they in fact did that."

 

CNN reported on Tuesday about the existence of the memo. BuzzFeed published a fuller 35-page document produced by Christopher Steele, a former British foreign intelligence official, that outlined the allegations of compromising behaviour by Trump and alleged links between the businessman and people in Russia.

 

The claims were included in opposition research reports that were made available last year to Democrats and U.S. officials.

 

One U.S. official said investigators had so far been unable to confirm material about Trump's financial and personal entanglements with Russian businessmen and others whom U.S. intelligence analysts have concluded are Russian intelligence officers or working on behalf of Russian intelligence.

 

Some material in Steele's reports has proved to be erroneous, the U.S. official said.

 

In the news conference, Trump declined to answer whether anyone connected to him or the campaign had contact with Moscow during the presidential campaign, and said he had no loans or business deals with Russia.

 

He defended his goal of better ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin. "If Putin likes Donald Trump, I consider that an asset, not a liability," he said.

 

The New York real estate developer complained about leaks from meetings he has with intelligence agencies and suggested they were to blame.

 

"I have many meetings with intelligence. And every time I meet, people are reading about it. Somebody's leaking it out," he said.

 

PROTESTERS OUTSIDE, CHEERING AIDES INSIDE

 

The long-awaited news conference was a freewheeling affair, with Trump aides cheering from the sidelines at one point and the president-elect angrily refusing to take questions from a CNN reporter.

 

Outside, about a dozen protesters gathered behind a police barricade across the street from Trump Tower, holding signs with the slogans "Dump Trump" and "Allegiance To America Not Russia" as Fifth Avenue traffic streamed by.

 

It was Trump's first news conference in about six months. About 250 reporters jammed into the lobby at his Manhattan offices where Trump also slammed drug company pricing policies.

 

Questions extended to many issues that will face him when he takes office. He vowed to soon begin negotiations with Mexico on building a border wall and said he will nominate a Supreme Court justice to fill the seat left by the death of conservative Antonin Scalia within two weeks of taking office.

 

He also said he would offer a plan to repeal and replace Obama’s signature health care law once his choice for health and human services, Tom Price, is confirmed by the Senate.

 

Trump gestured to large stacks of manila folders as he described how he will separate himself from his global business operations, which includes hotels and golf courses as well as assets like a winery and modelling agency, to avoid conflicts of interest once he takes office.

 

He also talked about how he plans to bring manufacturing jobs back from overseas plants, slamming drug companies for "getting away with murder" on pricing.

 

U.S. stocks slipped to session lows, before recovering ground, as healthcare stocks took a beating following Trump's comments on drug pricing.

 

(Additional reporting by Jeff Mason, David Alexander, Jonathan Landay, Yara Bayoumy, Warren Strobel, Dustin Volz and John Walcott in Washington and Jonathan Allen and Melissa Fares in New York; Writing by Roberta Rampton; Editing by Alistair Bell)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-01-12

[craigt3365]

He did the same blame game over Russia hacking allegations.  Which as of today, he now admits.  What a change. LOL

[mtls2005]

The increasing references to himself in the third person are alarming.

 

Invoking "Nazi Germany" when referencing propaganda shows a complete lack of a basic education. 

[Becker]

1 hour ago, mtls2005 said:

The increasing references to himself in the third person are alarming.

 

Invoking "Nazi Germany" when referencing propaganda shows a complete lack of a basic education. 

It's the lack of everything basic that's so obvious about this guy. Basic education, basic decency, basic restraint, basic behaviour. The list goes on and on.

What do you get when a grown up lacks all this? You get a mean man-child. And this guy (with a little help from his friends) has been elected POTUS......

[Kasset Tak]

I do love the way how CIA/NSA explained that it must be state sponsored/Russia who was behind the hacking... the hackers had used the same kind of technology as NSA use (spying on leaders in other countries like Russia/China/Germany/France)! 

[craigt3365]

4 minutes ago, Kasset Tak said:

I do love the way how CIA/NSA explained that it must be state sponsored/Russia who was behind the hacking... the hackers had used the same kind of technology as NSA use (spying on leaders in other countries like Russia/China/Germany/France)! 

If you researched their findings thoroughly, you'd understand why they came to this conclusion.

[mtls2005]

Clapper and Trump bury hatchet...leaks did not come from U.S. Intelligence sources.

 

 

[GiantFan]

Confirming CNN and buzzfeed stories were correct.  So 1 hour after the press conference where he claimed the news was fake, DNI claims otherwise.  Silly man, you should never screw with the CIA et al.

[kevkev1888]

15 minutes ago, GiantFan said:

Confirming CNN and buzzfeed stories were correct.  So 1 hour after the press conference where he claimed the news was fake, DNI claims otherwise.  Silly man, you should never screw with the CIA et al.

 

Not sure how you come to that conclusion? Did you read the statement?

 

[mike324]

Its a disgrace that Trump and his team used leaks to their benefit prior to the election, now they are slamming the intelligence community, I wonder why? because it has to do with Trump this time around? boo hoo

 

Some of these leaks are nothing new, they've been out for a couple months regarding to business interest with Russia. Why is Trump even surprise? people have been pointing this out for months, but many chose to ignore it citing Trump can't be bought, he is a billionaire and he can't be influenced.

[Grubster]

3 hours ago, craigt3365 said:

He did the same blame game over Russia hacking allegations.  Which as of today, he now admits.  What a change. LOL

Yes and he was right on both counts.  Both times they announced that there may have been hacking by Russia, and the Russians may have Trump in a compromising position. Well there may be aliens on the moon too.  Since when is it ok for an intelligence organization to spill info that there not sure of for political reasons. He doesn't admit anything, they later found some facts of the hacking, then they showed him their new evidence and he agreed. Big difference there.

[ilostmypassword]

2 minutes ago, Grubster said:

Yes and he was right on both counts.  Both times they announced that there may have been hacking by Russia, and the Russians may have Trump in a compromising position. Well there may be aliens on the moon too.  

But we have no evidence for that. But we do have the Financial Times now reporting on Trump's ties to lots of shady russians.

Edited January 12, 2017 by ilostmypassword

[Grubster]

3 hours ago, mtls2005 said:

The increasing references to himself in the third person are alarming.

 

Invoking "Nazi Germany" when referencing propaganda shows a complete lack of a basic education. 

Yes I guess Nazi Germany never used propaganda much.

[Grubster]

1 minute ago, ilostmypassword said:

But we have no evidence for that.

You don't need evidence to say there may be.

[KarenBravo]

USA is sleep-walking towards a cliff with this man......

[ilostmypassword]

1 minute ago, Grubster said:

Yes I guess Nazi Germany never used propaganda much.

So did and do lots of nations. But invoking Nazi Germany?  Will the SS be throwing him into a concentration camp or putting him in front of a firing squad.  What self-pitying nonsense he spouts.

[ilostmypassword]

1 minute ago, Grubster said:

You don't need evidence to say there may be.

Yes. but you're the one who likened the case against trump where there is some evidence to the case for aliens on the moon where there is none.

[puck2]

Germany has had a (Nazi) despot, nowadays Russia has one, Turkey has one, Zimbabwe has one.

And the USA are going to have one, who thinks the government is the same as his private business.

 

He isn't fare away of the mentioned Nazis.

• Like a young apprentice who knows all better than the experts

• theatening US companies with punishment for overseas investments so that they already exercise kissing @rse

• denying critical questions very angrily

• lack of knowledge in details

• lack of attaining knowledge of new objectives facts

• loss of memory; forgets what he yesterday talked about

• egomaniac

• without self-control again and again, as demonstrated during this press conference

• no interest in reading, what means no interest in learning new things

• prefering his own interests at first, people's interests are second class

• and the list goes on

Will he change his attitude(s) in the future? Seems impossible

[Grubster]

1 minute ago, ilostmypassword said:

So did and do lots of nations. But invoking Nazi Germany?  Will the SS be throwing him into a concentration camp or putting him in front of a firing squad.  What self-pitying nonsense he spouts.

Nazi Germany and Hitler have been used in many political speeches and debates all my life, where have you been?

[ilostmypassword]

4 minutes ago, Grubster said:

Nazi Germany and Hitler have been used in many political speeches and debates all my life, where have you been?

And that somehow makes it not stupid in this case?  

 

Edited January 12, 2017 by ilostmypassword

[Krataiboy]

You need to acquaint yourself with Edward Bernays.

[craigt3365]

28 minutes ago, Grubster said:

Yes and he was right on both counts.  Both times they announced that there may have been hacking by Russia, and the Russians may have Trump in a compromising position. Well there may be aliens on the moon too.  Since when is it ok for an intelligence organization to spill info that there not sure of for political reasons. He doesn't admit anything, they later found some facts of the hacking, then they showed him their new evidence and he agreed. Big difference there.

I can guarantee you, the intelligence chiefs gave him a lot more info than was made public (even though what was publicly released was enough for most).  He just wanted to ignore it as it might show that Russia helped him to win.  Again, said the news was fake, news outlets were against him, etc.  Everything but focus on the problem.  Pure deflection.

[craigt3365]

23 minutes ago, Grubster said:

Nazi Germany and Hitler have been used in many political speeches and debates all my life, where have you been?

And if used in an off topic or inappropriate reply here, will earn the member a warning, and for good reason.

[Baerboxer]

1 hour ago, craigt3365 said:

If you researched their findings thoroughly, you'd understand why they came to this conclusion.

 

Was that how they came to the conclusion Saddam had WMD's too?

 

Talk shops in the intelligence services where "assertions" based on self interest, their own agendas, negotiated positions with rival agencies, are presented as "fact".

 

Not saying Trump is right - but the intelligence community (now there's an oxymoron) are even less believable than politicians. And this all has little to do with the truth.

[IMA_FARANG]

I don't want to be 'inappropriate" but anyone who has any experience with "intelligence reports" knows very well to doubt them until verified by futher information.

No professional analyst would say otherwise.

There are people who dedicate their whole lives to analysing information and verifying what they can by crosschecking that with other available sources.

That is the job of the CIA.

 

 

[craigt3365]

4 minutes ago, Baerboxer said:

 

Was that how they came to the conclusion Saddam had WMD's too?

 

Talk shops in the intelligence services where "assertions" based on self interest, their own agendas, negotiated positions with rival agencies, are presented as "fact".

 

Not saying Trump is right - but the intelligence community (now there's an oxymoron) are even less believable than politicians. And this all has little to do with the truth.

Are WMD on topic? LOL  Wasn't that like, last century? LOL

[craigt3365]

8 minutes ago, IMA_FARANG said:

I don't want to be 'inappropriate" but anyone who has any experience with "intelligence reports" knows very well to doubt them until verified by futher information.

No professional analyst would say otherwise.

There are people who dedicate their whole lives to analysing information and verifying what they can by crosschecking that with other available sources.

That is the job of the CIA.

Some intelligence reports deal with verified facts.  Some with unverified facts.  Some, with both! LOL

[Baerboxer]

35 minutes ago, craigt3365 said:

Are WMD on topic? LOL  Wasn't that like, last century? LOL

 

Declaring anything that supports a contrary view "off topic" is becoming tedious and not a dismissive, it that's your intention.

 

This is about the credibility and veracity of the intelligence community and security services. WMD is an example of where, for whatever reasons, their assertions weren't actually true. The legacy of that incorrect assertions are still very much in focus, or hadn't you noticed?

 

Whilst their jobs aren't always easy, their performance levels do leave a lot to be desired.

[dick dasterdly]

The BBC is now reporting that a Brit. MI6 officer was behind the documents claiming Russia has compromising material on Trump.

 

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-38591382

[retarius]

This is quite interesting if you think about it. The reports says that Trump staying in the same bedroom as Obama and wanted to defile the bed so had the infamous girls in to do their thing. It also said that the KSB 'run the hotel'….it's actually a Ritz Carlton. Now when the President goes or stays anywhere his Secret Service guys vet the place with a fine tooth comb before he arrives, and so they would find any hidden camera, microphones etc. As apparently it was common knowledge that Russian intelligence had the place bugged, one wonders why they let Obama stay there.