TRUMP HAS THIS TO SAY
It might have been the day after Hillary Clinton became the first woman to win a party’s presidential nomination, but her Republican rival Donald Trump managed to get the majority of attention Wednesday thanks to a series of controversial comments during a Florida press conference.
‘RUSSIA, IF YOU’RE LISTENING ...’
On the heels of reports that Russia may have hacked Democratic Party emails, Trump had this to say: “Russia, if you’re listening, I hope you’re able to find the 30,000 emails that are missing. I think you will probably be rewarded mightily by our press.” He was referring to the thousands of emails Clinton says she deleted during her years as secretary of state. Clinton’s campaign responded swiftly. “This has to be the first time that a major presidential candidate has actively encouraged a foreign power to conduct espionage against his political opponent,” said Clinton adviser Jake Sullivan. Even Trump’s running mate, Mike Pence, declared there would be “serious consequences” if Russia interfered in U.S. politics. Later, a reporter asked Trump if he was really calling for a foreign power to launch a cyberattack on the Democratic presidential nominee. “It gives me no pause. If they have them, they have them,” he said. What gives him pause, he said, is “Clinton getting rid of 30,000 emails.”
‘WE’LL BE LOOKING AT THAT’
Lost in the shadow of the emails comment was this response from Trump when he was asked if he would recognize Crimea as Russian territory and lift related sanctions: “We’ll be looking at that. Yeah, we’ll be looking.” Russia’s annexation of Crimea, an autonomous republic of Ukraine, in 2014 was the first time one European nation has seized territory from another since the end of the Second World War. The U.S., Canada and European allies roundly rejected the annexation. Since then, Vice-President Joe Biden has declared it an “illegal” occupation.
ON HOW HE WOULD TREAT VLADIMIR PUTIN
“I would treat Vladimir Putin firmly but there’s nothing that I can think of that I’d rather do than have Russia friendly as opposed to the way they are right now so that we can go and knock out ISIS together with other people and with other countries. Wouldn’t it be nice if we actually got along with people, wouldn’t it be nice if we actually got along, as an example, with Russia? I’m all for it and let’s go get ISIS because we have to get ISIS and we have to get them fast.”
ON PUTIN’S OPINION OF CLINTON AND OBAMA
“Right now, we don’t have a good relationship. Putin has said things over the last year that are really bad things. OK? He mentioned the “N” word one time. I was shocked to hear him mention the “N” word. You know what the “N” word is, right? He mentioned it. I was shocked . ... He has a total lack of respect for President Obama. No. 1, he doesn’t like him. And No. 2, he doesn’t respect him. I think he’s going to respect your president if I’m elected. And I hope he likes me.”