In the wake of allegations that Russian Federation may have been behind the DNC email hack, Donald Trump said he hoped Russian Federation is able to access Hillary Clinton’s past emails, and if they do, he’d like to see the country release them. “I think you will probably be rewarded mightily by the press”.
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Clinton campaign officials have claimed Russian Federation hacked emails of the Democratic National Committee to help Trump, but Trump denied any times to Russian Federation. WikiLeaks released the trove of documents last week.
Trump, whom Democrats have accused of having cosy ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin, repeatedly declined to condemn the actions of Russia or any other foreign power of trying to intervene in the a United States election.
Just hours after Hillary Clinton made history by officially becoming the first woman to lead one of the major parties into a presidential election, the incumbent in the White House, Barack Obama, warned that she faced a tough battle to beat the controversial tycoon Donald Trump.
Clinton, a Democrat who faces Trump in the November 8 US presidential election, responded with a campaign statement alleging he was posing a possible national security threat by encouraging Russian espionage to try to influence the vote. “In addition to the obvious domestic political implications of essentially inviting interference in our election, they will further undermine European confidence in the reliability of the United States as an ally-particularly in the face of Russian adventurism”, he said.
“If it is Russian Federation and they are interfering in our elections, I can assure you both parties and the United States government will ensure there are serious consequences”, Pence said in a statement. He has repeatedly declined to denounce the Russian leader, and his earlier comments undermining America’s commitments to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization – most recently whether a Russian attack on one of the Baltic nations would demand a US response – have alarmed those in the foreign policy establishment. FBI Director James Comey also said Wednesday morning that some of the main players behind cyber threats are nation states like China, Russia, Iran and North Korea, but he did not comment on this specific case.
But Trump – who has praised Russian President Vladimir Putin in the past – said: “It is so far-fetched, it’s so ridiculous”.
Mr Trump’s remarks follow a long-trodden line of attack against the Democrat who has been criticised for using a private email for official government business and for her handling of classified information.
Trump, who once called on Robert Pattinson to break up with Twilight co-star Kristen Stewart, is not exactly known for holding back his thoughts on what others should do.
Campaign staffers also contended to reporters that Trump’s initial statements had been mischaracterized, that Trump was not actively soliciting cyber theft, but was instead urging Russian Federation to give the emails to law enforcement.
“I’m not going to tell Putin what to do”. Encouraging Russian espionage and interference in a USA presidential election, however, represents a depressing new low. Bernie Sanders’ primary campaign against Clinton.
“That’s not hyperbole, those are just the facts”, Sullivan said in a statement.
“It gives me no pause”, Trump said.
Elie Jacobs, a cyber-security expert from the Truman National Security Project, said it was likely that Russian Federation was involved with the hacking – but doubted links to Trump.
A spokesman for Paul Ryan, the Speaker of the House, called Russian Federation “a global menace led by a devious thug” in a statement, and said Russian Federation should stay out of the US election. Many other Republicans, however, were slower to react, caught between their endorsements of Trump and the discomfort they must have felt by his latest outburst.
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In the immediate aftermath of receiving Putin’s support, Trump released a response through campaign manager Hope Hicks expressing his gratitude – and his belief that the two men, who both harbor demonstrably isolationist tendencies, would work well together.
