Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
US PRESIDENT-ELECT Donald Trump rejected the CIA’s reported conclusion that Russia intervened to help him win the US election, saying in an interview broadcast today that the idea is “ridiculous.”
“I think it’s just another excuse. I don’t believe it,” Trump said in an interview with Fox News Sunday recorded yesterday.
“I think it’s ridiculous,” Trump said.
US intelligence had previously linked Russia to leaks of damaging email from Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton’s campaign but saw it as a broad bid to undermine confidence in the US political process.
On Friday, however, the Washington Post reported that the CIA has concluded that the aim of the cyber intrusions was to help Trump win the election. The Post story added that a hack on Republican data wasn’t published.
Trump dismissed the reports as an attempt by Democrats to excuse their election loss.
He said there was “great confusion” within the intelligence agencies, whom he portrayed as fighting among themselves.
“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 some place. They have no idea,” he said.
Trump, who has eschewed traditional daily intelligence briefings, suggested he intends to bring in his own people to lead the spy agencies once he assumes office.
“We’re going to have different people coming in because we have our people, they have their people. And I have great respect for them. But if you read the stories, the various stories, they’re disputing. And certain groups don’t necessarily agree.”
Trump has long said the culprit could be China or just a random hacker sitting on a couch. The CIA has concluded with “high confidence” that Russia sought to influence the US election on behalf of the Republican.
However, Senator John McCain says the Senate Armed Services Committee will go to work “immediately” to investigate the allegations.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
They are in a mess over there . The virus is on the rise again. What we don’t need now is a load of holidaymakers from the UK after all we have sacrificed as a nation over the past 3 to 4 months.
@Finnster: Unfortunately it will be back to square one when projected uk flights resume, hard to avoid or control
@Finnster: a few hen and stag parties in temple bar should do wonders for herd immunity.
It will be great if Trump gets elected for another 4 years in November and Britain will have at least 4 more years of Boris. Strong leaders who are at the top of their game. No wishy washy policy’s with these guys. They are tough on crime and that is the trademark of good leadership
@Maurice O Neill: Troll alert
@Finnster: Not even a decent troll attempt, I know it’s Sunday and he may be tired but that’s just pathetic.
@Mel Fitzpatrick: If you happen to support a view that is different from another’s persons its called having an opinion. Problem with society today is exactly why I feel so strong about having a right to an opinion.
@Maurice O Neill: No problem with different opinions at all. It’s part of being human. However you must expect to be called on your opinions when there’s scant evidence to support them and the evidence to counter them exists unfiltered in the public domain in Terms of Tweets, unedited interview transcripts, live video recordings and their actions/lack of actions. They are utterly unfit to hold any office and be called leaders.
@Nick: I agree with you. Leaders are elected by the people and not by emotion and sentiment unless you are from China where they have no Democracy
@Maurice O Neill: do you live underneath electricity pylons?
@Maurice O Neill: You should expect to be called out when you defend the indefensible.
With opinions like yours, I would have thought you’d be used to it.
@Maurice O Neill: Boris is the very epitome of ‘wishy – washy’. Vague, indecisive, living on ill-defined sound-bites.
@Maurice O Neill: Not sure if you read what I posted. I did not question their election status. I pointed out that there is a multitude of evidence demonstrating their total ineptitude & unsuitability to hold any office. This is not an attack on the democratic process. However for the US, decades of problems with their political, economic, social & educational systems helped create the conditions for a Trump like figure to emerge. In the UK, decades of anti EU propaganda along with problems in their political, social & economic systems helped to create the conditions for a charlatan like Boris to emerge. Democracy isn’t perfect & it can result in the characters like Trump and Boris gaining power if the conditions are right. Democracy requires work which seems to be lacking at the moment.
@Maurice O Neill: being tough on crime is the trademark of good leadership? Do you have anything tho back that up or is it like Trump’s leadership style purely based on a hunch?
@Nick: And what one of our great leaders last week praising Fidel Castro..Any issue with that or does he get a pass because of his political beliefs
@Maurice O Neill: I don’t think you understand. This is about your original post where your praised Trump and Boris. It’s been pointed out to you how there is repeated evidence of their unsuitability for holding any office and how the poor state of democracy in both countries contribued to their rise. Moving on to Irish politicians is entering the realm of “whataboutery”. Is there any hope of you backing up your statement.
@Maurice O Neill: Yes, Putin and King Jong and the Brazilian president too, all tough on crime but like Trump and Johnson lack emotional intelligence and empathy and any financial acumen but strong men all the same!
@Maurice O Neill: Considering you train out young teams I am a bit worried about your influence on them now.
@Maurice O Neill: I hope that’s sarcasim, bull in a china shop more like…
@Maurice O Neill: Boris a strong leader??? Don’t you mean Dominic Cummins.. Boris is his puppet
There’s also Brexit looming over the horizon. Looks like they’ve dropped their food standards to accommodate the US. Nissan has said it will go in the event of a no deal, and they’re not ready for the Irish sea border.
project fear they called it, rapidly becoming project fact.
I think we all Boris and apology. It seems like he was one step ahead all along
: the chlorinated chicken he is now importing from the US will not only give them the protein they need to roll up their sleeves and rebuild Britain post brexit, but also it will act as a natural preventative against covid-19. (According to Blonde no. 1) Genius! It’s time we ate some humble pie- humble pie that is with chlorinated chicken.
Expect large rise in cases/ deaths following weekend of stupid protests and mass gatherings.. why stupid? cos we’re in the middle of a virus pandemic…
@Sean Fallon: Black lives matter , so we organise a mass public rally in Dublin at the weekend to facilitate the spread of the virus . What about the hysteria about travel to Cheltenham, and social distancing ? No problem , “talk to Joe “ . If his bandwagon promotion of the event and his endorsement of certain people of colour as more Irish than the Irish themselves then the recent mob activity in Bristol is not far around the corner .
All lives matter, but perhaps the safety of white lives in Ireland should receive some sympathy as citizens and tax payers !
Honestly.. will yous cop on
have your say