Trump claims Russia will side with Democrats

WASHINGTON >> Under pressure to show he’s taking the threat of Russian interference seriously, President Donald Trump claimed without evidence Tuesday that Moscow will be “fighting very hard” to help Democrats win in the 2018 midterm elections.

Trump, who has offered mixed messages on Russian interference in U.S. elections — at times even calling it a “hoax” — acknowledged in a tweet that the midterms are a likely target.

“I’m very concerned that Russia will be fighting very hard to have an impact on the upcoming Election,” Trump wrote. But he added “they will be pushing very hard for the Democrats. They definitely don’t want Trump!”

That’s despite Russian President Vladimir Putin saying outright last week, following the leaders’ summit in Helsinki, that he wanted Trump to win in 2016. U.S. intelligence agencies also have determined that Russia interfered in the election to help him win, and the agencies have warned there are ominous signs of more cyberattacks to come.

At Tuesday’s hearing, Christopher Krebs of the Homeland Security Department said the intelligence community has observed “continued malign influence operations” into 2018, though they do not appear to be “an effort at the same scope or scale” as in 2016.

As Trump tweeted on Tuesday, House Republicans held a hearing on election security in which lawmakers — even some of Trump’s closest GOP allies — strongly criticized Russian interference and pointed to an indictment this month of 12 Russian intelligence officers. The indictment alleges that the Russians broke into Democratic email accounts and tried to penetrate state election systems.

House Oversight and Government Reform Chairman Trey Gowdy noted that the indictment said there is no evidence the vote count was affected, “but that was not likely for a lack of trying.”

Republican Rep. Virginia Foxx of North Carolina criticized Trump directly.

“Unfortunately, the president’s recent comments at the U.S.-Russia summit in Helsinki failed to hold Putin accountable for his attacks on our country’s interests and deter him from future indiscretions,” she said.

Other Republicans were careful to draw a line and not directly disagree with the president.

“I don’t think anyone here denies the fact that Russia attempted to meddle in the elections,” said Rep. Jody Hice, R-Ga. “The issue of meddling is one thing, the issue of the president colluding is another and that is indeed a witch hunt.”

Democrats said Republicans haven’t done enough to keep the vote secure this fall.