Donald Trump believes US intelligence claims Russia meddled in election, but slams Putin ‘haters’
Trump said he thinks it’s time for the United States to move on from the controversy surrounding Russian election interference
Donald Trump said Sunday he backed US intelligence agencies who concluded that Russia meddled in the 2016 US presidential election, but repeated his trust in the sincerity of Vladimir Putin’s denials and slammed critics of his relationship with the Russian leader.
Key former Trump aides are under US investigation for possible collaboration with the Kremlin and the issue of whether Moscow interfered with last year’s vote has overshadowed the tail end of the president’s ongoing Asia tour.
Addressing a press conference in Hanoi, Trump was asked to clarify comments he had made on Air Force One the day before about Putin’s insistence that Moscow had never tried to affect the outcome of the US vote.
“I believe he feels he and Russia did not meddle in the election,” Trump said.
“As to whether or not I believe it or not, I’m with our agencies. I believe in our … intelligence agencies,” he added.