National Post (National Edition)
CONCEDES RUSSIA MAY HAVE HACKED U.S., VEHEMENTLY DENIES NEW ALLEGATIONS
Donald Trump used his first press conference since being elected president to lash out at the intelligence agencies for leaking details of Russia’s “compromising information” on him to the media.
Trump said such leaks were “like Nazi Germany,” rounding on the intelligence agencies and the media in a fiery gathering that sparked laughter and anger by turn.
On the eve of Wednesday’s press conference, CNN reported that intelligence agencies had warned Trump in a meeting last week that the Russians had “compromising information” on his business and personal details. The Buzzfeed website then went further, publishing a document that it claimed was research on the Russian spying on Trump, but which Trump — and many analysts — believe to be fake.
Trump tweeted Wednesday morning that the Buzzfeed report was false — “Fake news — a total political witchhunt” — and was furious about the suggestion that this report could be the one that came from the intelligence agencies.
“Russia just said the unverified report paid for by political opponents is ‘A COMPLETE AND TOTAL FABRICATION, UTTER NONSENSE.’ Very unfair!” he tweeted.
“Intelligence agencies should never have allowed this fake news to ‘leak’ into the public. One last shot at me. Are we living in Nazi Germany?”
‘FAKE NEWS — a total political witchhunt’ ‘One last shot at me. Are we living in NAZI Gemany?’ ‘Complete and total fabrication, UTTER nonsense’
He continued on the theme in the press conference a few hours later, saying: “I think it was disgraceful — disgraceful that the intelligence agencies allowed any information that turned out to be so false and fake out. That’s something that Nazi Germany would have done and did do. I think it’s a disgrace that information that was false and fake and never happened got released to the public.”
Multiple media outlets have known for a while about a possible dossier of embarrassing or legally dubious material, but none have yet published it. It involved alleged material that could be used to blackmail Trump.
A former intelligence source said the Russians were in possession of a “kompromat” tape showing Trump with prostitutes in a Moscow hotel, and the women urinating on a bed which they said had been slept in by Barack Obama.
The source said he had learned of the tape from conversations intercepted by intelligence agencies in Eastern Europe. He was unable, however, to verify the veracity of these reports.
Trump labelled BuzzFeed “a failing pile of garbage” and CNN, he said, traded in “fake news”.
“Since you’re attacking us, can you give us a question?” asked CNN’s chief White House correspondent.
Trump replied: “Not you. Your organization is terrible.” When the correspondent persisted, Trump admonished the reporter, saying with a flash of anger: “Quiet. Don’t be rude.”
Trump also gave a reason for why the alleged sordid events in a Moscow hotel room in 2013 — eight years after he had married his third wife, Melania — could not have happened. Saying he was always alert to hidden cameras, he added: “Does anyone really believe that story? I’m also very much of a germaphobe, by the way, believe me.”
Trump has stated how he dislikes shaking hands and is reluctant to press buttons in a lift.
He also said that the Russians could not have “compromising information” on his business deals in Russia, because he has “no dealings with Russia.”
Asked to release his tax returns and prove it, he fell back on his excuse that he could not release his returns because he was being audited.
The president-elect also, for the first time, directly accepted during the press conference that Russia was behind the hack of Democrat emails — which were released during the election — damaging Hillary Clinton.
Trump had been deeply skeptical, but Wednesday he showed that he had been won over by the intelligence agencies, whose chiefs briefed him on Friday. “As far as hacking, I think it was Russia,” he said.
But he also downplayed Russia’s role. “I think we also get hacked by other countries and other people,” he said.
Trump, mocked for being an admirer of Vladimir Putin, reiterated his hope that he can build strong U.S.-Russian relations.
“If Putin likes Donald Trump, I consider that an asset, not a liability, because we have a horrible relationship with Russia,” said Trump.
When it was first scheduled, Wednesday’s news conference was to centre on Trump’s efforts to eliminate potential conflicts of interest.
Trump’s international business empire puts him in an unprecedented position for an incoming president, and ethics watchdogs have called for him to put his assets in a blind trust.
He revealed that he would not be doing so, but would instead turn over leadership, but not ownership, of the Trump Organization to his sons Donald Jr and Eric. He also left open the possibility of returning to the company after leaving office.
“President-elect Trump should not be expected to destroy the company he built,” said Sheri Dillon, from law firm Morgan Lewis, advising Trump.
Trump boasted that he was recently offered a $2 billion project in Dubai, but had turned it down. He said the American people showed they were uninterested in conflicts of interest or his refusal to disclose his tax returns by electing him president.