Tag: Russia

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Trump Compares US To Russia: “You Think Our Country’s So Innocent?”

In an interview with Fox News’ Bill O’Reilly set to air today on FOX before the Super Bowl, President Trump was asked about his views on Russian President Vladimir Putin.

At one point, as Trump says that he respects the Russian president, O’Reilly interjects “But Putin’s a killer.”

“There are a lot of killers. There are a lot of killers. What, you think our country is so innocent? ” replied Trump.

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Anderson Cooper’s Fiery Interview With Trump Advisor Kellyanne Conway

Don’t let the length of the clip fool you. This was quite riveting to watch.

Good on Anderson that he doesn’t back down. Make sure you watch to the end when he CONFIRMS that CNN never linked to the document dump or to Buzzfeed.

Conway is wrong, spinning for the Trumpers, and never acknowledges she’s wrong.

What’s clear is Team Trump has a huge chip on it’s shoulder that folks didn’t think he would win.

Near the end Conway asks why 8 years ago at this time CNN was reporting that President Obama was headed to Oslo to pick up a Nobel Peace Prize, but no one’s reporting that about Trump today.

Umm, maybe because Trump hasn’t won a Nobel Peace Prize???

From CNN:

In a fiery exchange, Trump senior adviser Kellyanne Conway and Anderson Cooper clash over CNN’s reporting of the classified documents presented to President Obama and President-elect Donald J. Trump http://cnn.it/2jG0Mom

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Kellyanne Conway Denies Trump Was Briefed On Russian Claims Of “Compromising” Intel On Him

The Hill is reporting tonight that Donald Trump senior advisor Kellyanne Conway is pushing back on reports that the President-elect was briefed on reports that Russia had collected a dossier of compromising information on hm.

CNN on Tuesday reported that the Intelligence Community briefed the president-elect and President Obama last week about the allegations by appending a two-page synopsis, based on memos written by a former British MI6 operative, to its larger report about Russian meddling in the election.

The dossier has reportedly been circulating through the intelligence community. The synopsis was reportedly included in part to show that Russia was partial to Trump over Hillary Clinton, choosing not releasing damaging information about him. Conway said late Tuesday that Trump was “not aware” of the two-page synopsis that was presented as an appendix to the main intelligence report.

The Daily Beast adds:

As an “American citizen” regardless of political party, Conway said, “we should be concerned that intelligence officials leak to the press and won’t go and tell the president-elect or the president of the United States himself now, Mr. Obama, what the information is. They’d rather go tell the press.”

At that point, Meyers cut her off, saying, “But the report was about them going to the president.” When she pushed back, he added, “I believe it said they did brief him on it.”

The first sentence of CNN’s report reads, “Classified documents presented last week to President Obama and President-elect Trump included allegations that Russian operatives claim to have compromising personal and financial information about Mr. Trump, multiple US officials with direct knowledge of the briefings tell CNN.”

“He has said he’s not aware of that,” Conway replied of her boss, to which Meyers said, “That concerns me.”

As should us all. Watch Conway’s comments below:

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Russia Has “Compromising Personal And Financial” Information On Trump According To US Intel

President-elect Donald Trump (L), Russian President Putin (R)

No wonder he wouldn’t publicly criticize the Russian Government or Putin.

CNN reports:

Classified documents presented last week to President Obama and President-elect Trump included allegations that Russian operatives claim to have compromising personal and financial information about Mr. Trump, multiple US officials with direct knowledge of the briefings tell CNN.

The allegations were presented in a two-page synopsis that was appended to a report on Russian interference in the 2016 election. The allegations came, in part, from memos compiled by a former British intelligence operative, whose past work US intelligence officials consider credible. The FBI is investigating the credibility and accuracy of these allegations, which are based primarily on information from Russian sources, but has not confirmed many essential details in the memos about Mr. Trump.

The classified briefings last week were presented by four of the senior-most US intelligence chiefs — Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, FBI Director James Comey, CIA Director John Brennan, and NSA Director Admiral Mike Rogers.

One reason the nation’s intelligence chiefs took the extraordinary step of including the synopsis in the briefing documents was to make the President-elect aware that such allegations involving him are circulating among intelligence agencies, senior members of Congress and other government officials in Washington, multiple sources tell CNN.

The piece of intel that has most of the internet buzzing regarded a visit by Trump to the Moscow Ritz Carlton, where he allegedly insisted on staying in the same suite where President and Mrs. Obama had stayed (whom he hated).

During the alleged hotel stay, Trump is said to have hired Russian prostitutes to “perform a ‘golden showers’ (urination) show.” According to the report, the suite – in fact the entire hotel – was geared with microphones and concealed cameras.

So, you can image, if true, what the Russians would have on Trump.

Click the image to enlarge:

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Trump: Intelligence Briefing “Constructive” But Still Has Questions

Donald Trump

While it appears that Trump did listen, his main talking point after today’s intelligence briefing seems to be doubling down on the fact that he won the presidency on his own, with no help from Russia.

From USA Today:

President-elect Donald Trump said he had a “constructive” meeting with intelligence officials on Friday, and while praising them still had questions about assertions that Russia hacked Democrats in an effort to influence last year’s election.

Claiming that Russia, China, and other countries and organizations are always launching cyber-attacks against the United States — “including the Democratic National Committee” — Trump said in a written statement that “there was absolutely no effect on the outcome of the election including the fact that there was no tampering whatsoever with voting machines.”

He added: “There were attempts to hack the Republican National Committee, but the RNC had strong hacking defenses and the hackers were unsuccessful.”

While criticizing aspects of the Russia investigation just hours before a special briefing, Trump said in his statement that
“I have tremendous respect for the work and service done by the men and women of this (intelligence) community to our great nation.”

Saying all Americans need to “aggressively combat and stop cyber-attacks,” Trump said that as president he would appoint a team to develop a new defense plan.

“The methods, tools and tactics we use to keep America safe should not be a public discussion that will benefit those who seek to do us harm,” the president-elect added. “Two weeks from today I will take the oath of office and America’s safety and security will be my number one priority.”

Before his high-profile briefing at Trump Tower, the president-elect also announced he has asked Congress to investigate what he believes to be the leak of a secret intelligence report on the Russians to the news media. He tweeted: “I am asking the chairs of the House and Senate committees to investigate top secret intelligence shared with NBC prior to me seeing it.”

Trump has also protested news coverage on Thursday night, tweeting: “How did NBC get ‘an exclusive look into the top secret report he (Obama) was presented?’ Who gave them this report and why? Politics!”

The president-elect had a nearly two-hour briefing that included Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, CIA Director John Brennan and FBI Director James Comey, all of whom have cited evidence pointing to a Russian plan to hack Democrats backing Clinton, perhaps in an effort to aid Trump.

A declassified version of the report was released today via the Director of National Intelligence:

Click to enlarge
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Kellyanne Conway: I’m Not Going To Admit Russia Helped My Boss, So Stop Asking Me To!

Because in politics, you never admit – you deflect.

Via Mediaite:

“I’ll ask you a third time!” Cuomo said at one point about the October joint report from the Homeland Security Department and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence: did the intelligence community announce its findings of Russian involvement, yes or no?

What transpired was an (at times) infuriating battle between a fast-talking New Yorker and an equally abrasively stubborn and witty woman from New Jersey, both also aided by legal backgrounds. “Chris, I see you’re very passionate about this,” Conway said.

“Sure I am. Russia trying to hack during our election, being ignored by our President-elect? That’s troubling,” Cuomo shot back. Remarkably, Conway responded. “Right. No it’s not.” She furthered at one point, “You just want to argue with me.”

“You’re ducking the obvious,” he said, “and I don’t know why.” At one point, when the New Day anchor alleged that Trump was “sheltering Russia,” Conway defiantly shot back, “Don’t you say that again.”

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Trump: “I Know Things That Other People Don’t Know” About Cyber-Hacking Russians

Even though all 17 of the U.S. intelligence agencies  – ALL 17 AGENCIES!!! – agree “with confidence” that Russia willfully cyber-hacked American email servers in an attempt to interfere with the presidential election, Donald Trump says he knows “things that other people don’t know,” adding that he would share that info with the American people either today or Wednesday this week.

(p.s. today came and went with no announcement from Trump on the cyber-hacking)

From the New York Times:

“I just want them to be sure because it’s a pretty serious charge,” Mr. Trump said of the intelligence agencies. “If you look at the weapons of mass destruction, that was a disaster, and they were wrong,” he added, referring to intelligence cited by the George W. Bush administration to support its march to war in 2003. “So I want them to be sure,” the president-elect said. “I think it’s unfair if they don’t know.”

He added: “And I know a lot about hacking. And hacking is a very hard thing to prove. So it could be somebody else. And I also know things that other people don’t know, and so they cannot be sure of the situation.”

When asked what he knew that others did not, Mr. Trump demurred, saying only, “You’ll find out on Tuesday or Wednesday.”

Mr. Trump, who does not use email, also advised people to avoid computers when dealing with delicate material. “It’s very important, if you have something really important, write it out and have it delivered by courier, the old-fashioned way, because I’ll tell you what, no computer is safe,” Mr. Trump said.

“I don’t care what they say, no computer is safe,” he added. “I have a boy who’s 10 years old; he can do anything with a computer. You want something to really go without detection, write it out and have it sent by courier.”

I should add that since that reporting was made public, Team Trump has admitted that he hasn’t made the time to sit down with the heads of U.S. intelligence agencies to be briefed on what it is exactly they have as proof.

But he knows more than they do.

Because his 10 year old son can work a computer.

#sigh

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DNC Calls Trump Spokesman A “Shill For Putin”

The Democratic National Committee has had enough of Team Trump’s denial of the Russian cyber-hacking that took place.

After White House press secretary Sean Spicer took a spin on the morning political shows saying there is “zero evidence” of Russian involvement, the DNC knocked Spicer for being a “shill” for Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Via The Hill:

In an email, the Democratic National Committee (DNC) called Spicer’s comments false and pointed to an interview where several former White House press secretaries suggested President-elect Donald Trump often creates his own facts.

“Right on cue, Trump’s incoming White House press secretary was on the morning shows today spinning the falsehood that there is ‘zero evidence’ that Russia influenced the election through their hacking of DNC and Clinton campaign officials,” the DNC email stated. The email was sent under a subject line arguing that the incoming White House press secretary “shills for Putin.”

On Fox News on Monday, Spicer claimed there was “zero evidence” of Russian interference in the 2016 election, despite intelligence agencies’s reports about the hacking campaign leading up to Trump’s electoral win.

The fact of the matter is all 17 of the US intelligence agencies agree “with confidence” that Russia not only hacked into American email servers but did so with the purpose of interfering in the presidential election.

All 17 agencies.

Team Trump’s denials are based on fears that his electoral “win” might somehow be delegitimized if the Russian’s efforts are acknowledged.

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GOP Congressman Says Comments That Russia Did Media’s Job Were “Completely Misconstrued”

Arizona Congressman Trent Franks, in an appearance on MSNBC Thursday afternoon, shared his opinion that Russia’s cyber-hacking activities during the election was merely what the U.S. media should have done.

“If Russia succeeded in giving the American people information that was accurate, then they merely did what the media should have done,” said Congressman Franks, who chairs the House subcommittee on the Constitution and sits on the House Judiciary Committee.

Franks appeared on CNN Friday afternoon to push back against calls of “traitor” and accusing him of treason on social media, in light of his comments.

“Those comments were completely misconstrued,” Franks said. “No one has been harder on Russia than me. I have been deeply committed to making sure their expansionism and their efforts did not result in the deaths of innocent people across the world.”

Additionally, Franks said that President Obama’s sanctions against the Russian government are Obama’s attempt to “delegitimize” Trump’s election.

“I am completely convinced that Barack Obama’s primary motivation here is to try to delegitimize the election here.”

It’s interesting that the biggest concern on behalf of Trump supporters is the fear that his win might somehow be taken away, and not that a foreign power like Russia is hacking into our data servers.

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Trump Praises Russian President Putin On Twitter

Yet again, Donald Trump has publicly praised Russian President Vladimir Putin, going so far as to praise the Russian president for not expelling American diplomats in Russia in response to President Barack Obama’s sanctions. “Great move on delay (by V. Putin),” Trump tweeted. “I always knew he was very smart!”

It was initially thought that Putin would react in kind to the sanctions, but yesterday announced he would hold a “wait and see” position until after January 20th when Trump takes the oath of office.

Not only did the Trumpster post the tweet, but he’s pinned the tweet to the top of his feed, clearly meaning to make quite the statement.

The Twitterverse reacts:

And then, this from CNN Senior White House Correspondent Jim Acosta: