CIA: Director 'stands by' Russian interference assessment
The CIA on Saturday said its director, Mike Pompeo, "stands by" the intelligence community's declassified report that concluded Russia ran an influence campaign aimed at helping President Trump win the White House in 2016.
"The director stands by and has always stood by the January 2017 intelligence community assessment entitled: 'Assessing Russian Activities and Intentions in Recent U.S. Elections.' The intelligence assessment with regard to Russian election meddling has not changed," a spokesperson for the agency said in a statement.
The statement follows President Trump's comments about Russian President Vladimir Putin's repeated denials that Moscow was involved in election interference, as well as a discussion between the two world leaders.
The CIA did not comment on Trump's meeting in Vietnam with Putin.
"He said he didn't meddle. He said he didn't meddle. I asked him again. You can only ask so many times," Trump told reporters Saturday.
"But I just asked him again, and he said he absolutely did not meddle in our election," he continued. "He did not do what they're saying he did."
Trump and Putin spoke this weekend in Vietnam during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit.
While Trump did not say whether or not he believed Putin's denial, he did mock those who led the intelligence agencies when the report was released in January.
"I think that he is very, very strong in the fact that he didn't do it," Trump said when asked if he believed Putin.
Trump has long argued that the investigation into Russia's election meddling and any potential ties between his campaign staff members and the Kremlin is politically motivated and an excuse for Hillary Clinton's loss last year.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/cia-d...li=BBnb7Kz
The CIA on Saturday said its director, Mike Pompeo, "stands by" the intelligence community's declassified report that concluded Russia ran an influence campaign aimed at helping President Trump win the White House in 2016.
"The director stands by and has always stood by the January 2017 intelligence community assessment entitled: 'Assessing Russian Activities and Intentions in Recent U.S. Elections.' The intelligence assessment with regard to Russian election meddling has not changed," a spokesperson for the agency said in a statement.
The statement follows President Trump's comments about Russian President Vladimir Putin's repeated denials that Moscow was involved in election interference, as well as a discussion between the two world leaders.
The CIA did not comment on Trump's meeting in Vietnam with Putin.
"He said he didn't meddle. He said he didn't meddle. I asked him again. You can only ask so many times," Trump told reporters Saturday.
"But I just asked him again, and he said he absolutely did not meddle in our election," he continued. "He did not do what they're saying he did."
Trump and Putin spoke this weekend in Vietnam during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit.
While Trump did not say whether or not he believed Putin's denial, he did mock those who led the intelligence agencies when the report was released in January.
"I think that he is very, very strong in the fact that he didn't do it," Trump said when asked if he believed Putin.
Trump has long argued that the investigation into Russia's election meddling and any potential ties between his campaign staff members and the Kremlin is politically motivated and an excuse for Hillary Clinton's loss last year.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/cia-d...li=BBnb7Kz
