Trump calls CIA assessment of Russian interference in U.S. election 'ridiculous'

by **Admin** Sun Dec 11, 2016 11:46 am

Trump speaks to Fox News' Chris Wallace in an interview that aired Sunday. ("Fox News Sunday")

President-elect Donald Trump trashed the reported assessment by the Central Intelligence Agency that Russia interfered in the U.S. presidential election in an effort to help him win the White House, calling it "just another excuse" pushed by the Democrats to undercut his stunning victory.

"I think it's ridiculous," Trump told Chris Wallace in interview that aired on "Fox News Sunday," his first Sunday show sit-down since winning the election. "I don't believe it."

In October, 17 U.S. intelligence agencies, including the CIA, concluded that Russian hacking of American "political organizations" like the Democratic National Committee was an attempt to undermine confidence in the U.S. electoral system. On Friday, the Washington Post reported that the CIA now says it is now "quite clear" that electing Trump was Russia's goal.

"If you look at the story and you take a look at what they said, there's great confusion," Trump told Wallace. "Nobody really knows, and hacking is very interesting. Once they hack, if you don't catch them in the act you're not going to catch them. They have no idea if it's Russia or China or somebody. It could be somebody sitting in a bed someplace. I mean, they have no idea."

Trump said he believes that the Post report is part of an effort by the Democrats to deflect responsibility for their defeat.

"Every week it's another excuse. We had a massive landslide victory, as you know, in the Electoral College," Trump said. "I think the Democrats are putting it out because they suffered one of the greatest defeats in the history of politics in this country."

Trump collected 306 electoral votes to Hillary Clinton's 232. Clinton, though, leads Trump in the popular vote by more than 2.6 million, with absentee votes still being counted in several states, including California.

On Sunday, Republican Sens. John McCain and Lindsey Graham joined Democrats calling for a full-scale investigation into the reports, saying in a joint statement that the CIA's report of Russia's efforts in the election "should alarm every American."

On CBS' "Face the Nation," McCain urged Trump to accept the CIA's assessment.

"The facts are there," he said.

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