Trump takes new shot at U.S. intel

Washington — Presidentelect Donald Trump lodged another unprecedented assault on U.S. intelligence agencies Wednesday, promoting the credibility of WikiLeaks founder and editor Julian Assange at their expense.

Trump has been highly critical of the government’s assessment that Russia intervened in the November election, using WikiLeaks to release hacked Democratic emails.

On Twitter on Wednesday, Trump cited Assange’s assertions mocking the intelligence community’s conclusions that Russians were responsible for stealing the emails of top Hillary Clinton ad-Assange viser John Podesta.

“Julian Assange said ‘a 14 year old could have hacked Podesta’ — why was DNC so careless? Also said Russians did not give him the info!” Trump tweeted.

Assange gave an interview to Fox News host Sean Hannity, who has in the past called for trying him on espionage charges, echoing other Republicans and many in the intelligence community who say his airing of sensitive documents has put U.S. lives and strategic interests at risk.

Assange’s backers, including some on the far left, have praised him at times for scrutinizing U.S. actions abroad and in the war on terrorism.

Hannity, Trump’s biggest supporter in the media, has praised since Trump began complaining that the conclusion about Russian meddling in the election was wrong. He flew to London to interview Assange in the Ecuadorian embassy, airing their conversation Tuesday. Assange has lived in the embassy for more than four years, fleeing sexual assault accusations in Sweden.

Trump also quoted Assange’s criticism of the media as dishonest, amplifying that critique in his own words.

“@FoxNews: Julian Assange on U.S. media coverage: ‘It’s very dishonest.’ … More dishonest than anyone knows.”

The praise for Assange on Wednesday came less than a day after Trump ridiculed U.S. intelligence.