‘I think it was Russia’ behind election hacks — Trump
NEW YORK, United States (AFP) — US President-elect Donald Trump dismissed Wednesday a dossier with allegations Russia has compromising material on him as a “phony report” but acknowledged that Russia was behind the hacking of Democratic Party computers.
“It’s all fake news. It’s phony stuff. It didn’t happen,” he said in a press conference.
“As far as hacking, I think it was Russia, but I also think we’ve been hacked by other countries, other people.”
Meanwhile, he said it would be an “asset, not a liability” if he gets along with Russian President Vladimir Putin, but admitted it was not a given that the pair would be allies.
“If Putin likes Donald Trump, I consider that an asset, not a liability, because we have a horrible relationship with Russia,” Trump told a press conference — his first since winning the November presidential election.
“I don’t know that I’m going to get along with Vladimir Putin. I hope I do. But there’s a good chance I won’t,” he added, in the wake of explosive allegations about his dealings with Russia and purported intelligence gathered by Moscow about him.