Trump’s initial comments were quickly condemned by the Clinton campaign, many in the foreign policy community and scores of Republicans, including House Speaker Paul Ryan, whose spokesman said Russia is “a global menace led by a devious thug” and that Russian President Vladimir Putin “should stay out of this election”.
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The Clinton campaign and national security experts denounced Trump, the real estate mogul seeking his first elected office, for urging Moscow on Wednesday to conduct what they said was cyber espionage on Clinton in the midst of the contentious US presidential campaign.
Asked in the interview Sunday if she was suggesting that Putin wants Trump to be president over her, Clinton responded that she wouldn’t jump to that conclusion. “But I think, laying out the facts raises serious issues about Russian interference in our elections, in our democracy”. We’ve already cited Pence, who was only restating what, until now, has been the common position of USA political leaders from left to right: Cyberattacks by foreign governments such as Russian Federation and China against USA industry, government and other sensitive targets are unacceptable and must be resisted.
“I would treat Vladimir Putin firmly, but there’s nothing I can think of that I’d rather do than have Russian Federation friendly, as opposed to the way they are right now, so that we can go and knock out ISIS with other people”, Trump said at a news conference.
“Russia, if you’re listening, I hope you’re able to find the 30,000 emails that are missing”, Trump said, referring to emails Clinton had deleted from a private email server. Both Russia and Mr Trump denied the allegation.
Two days before the start of the Democratic National Convention, thousands of hacked DNC emails were released to WikiLeaks. I said “Thank you very much” to the newspaper, and that was the end of it. I don’t know who Putin is. But according to Carlton Larson, University of California at Davis law school professor and expert on treason, “what Donald Trump said does not amount to treason”.
“I’m not going to tell you what I’d do”. At the time Putin proclaimed a duty to defend the ethnic Russians who dominate the population there.
More significant is Trump’s skeptical view of North Atlantic Treaty Organisation.
TRUMP: I spoke indirectly and directly with President Putin, who could not have been nicer.
Kiev asked the UN Security Council to issue a statement reaffirming Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity in response to the decree, but Russian Federation opposed the move. “I have nothing to do with Putin”, he said.
Then again, all the silly media attention to what Trump said about Russian Federation and Hillary’s emails did suck all the air out of Hillary’s “historic” nomination the night before.
Asked if the US would improve its relationship with Russia by “bowing to the annexation of Crimea”, Trump reflected on the pro-Russian sentiment among some in the disputed area.
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“He’s running his country and at least he’s a leader, unlike what he have in this country”, Trump said.
