Trump finds a ‘scapegoat’

Prez says Obama knew about Russian meddling before polls, but didn’t act

New York, June 25: United States President Donald Trump has accused former President Barack Obama of not taking an action against Russian meddling in the 2016 US elections suggesting that they were trying to help Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation is investigating into the alleged meddling by Russia in the 2016 presidential election and possible collusion between the Kremlin and Mr Trump’s campaign.

“Well I just heard today for the first time that Obama knew about Russia a long time before the election, and he did nothing about it,” Mr Trump said, in an excerpt of his interview on Fox and Friends released on Friday.

“But nobody wants to talk about that,” he added.

Questioning Mr Barack Obama’s inaction, Mr Trump said, “Obama didn’t do enough to address the situation.”

“The CIA gave him information on Russia a long time before they even, before the election. And I hardly see it. It’s an amazing thing. To me, in other words, the question is, if he had the information, why didn’t he do something about it? He should have done something about it. But you don’t read that. It’s quite sad,” he added.

The US President had earlier tweeted asking Mr Obama the same question.

This comes a day after a Washington Post report detailed how the Obama administration’s approach to take an action against the Russian government for its attempt to meddle with and influence the presidential campaign was slow and cautious and how it helped the bid to politically damage Hillary Clinton and swing the election in Mr Trump’s favour.

Mr Donald Trump has, since the beginning, denied any coordination with Russian officials and has called the investigation a “witch hunt” to hamper the work of his administration even as a probe into a possible collusion between his campaign and Moscow, and Russia’s role in the poll continues.

The CIA gave him (Obama) information on Russia a long time before the election. If he had the information, why didn’t he do something about it? He should have done something about it. But you don’t read that. It’s quite sad — Donald Trump, US President I am troubled learning this new information that the Obama administration didn’t do more — Ron Wyden, Democrat senator, Oregon